


The Kitty Warrior and the Serial Killer

by bertererei



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Child Soldiers, Comfort part of Hurt/Comfort, Foul Language, Found Family, Gen, Implied Violence, Manga Spoiler, Mental/Emotional/Physical Child Abuse, Minor Character Deaths, OOC, Reiner-Eren Swap, Serial Killer, discrimination against Eldians
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-25
Updated: 2019-09-02
Packaged: 2020-09-26 04:03:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 33,957
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20383369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bertererei/pseuds/bertererei
Summary: “But how can we be considered Warrior Candidates if we can’t do something as simple as catching a serial killer?” Eren points out.“Makes sense,” Colt says. Bertolt and Porco nod in agreement.Marcel’s smile falls. “N-no!” Then a little more firmly, he manages out, “No. We’re not doing that!”“Okay,” Eren says, nodding. “You guys heard Marcel. We’re killing the serial killer instead.”Please, Marcel begs in his head. Don’t say something so terrifying while innocently holding your kitty doll!





	1. The Boring and Cliched Origin Story that No One Wants to Read about but Must to Understand This Stupid Author’s Train of Thoughts

**Author's Note:**

  * For [tatakaeren](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tatakaeren/gifts).

> Happy birthday [tatakaeren](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tatakaeren/pseuds/tatakaeren)! This really isn’t much, and I think I was way more self-indulgent than I should have. But I really hope that it’ll bring a smile to your face! ^^ For the first part of your birthday gift, I present to you, the first chapter of this new story.
> 
> This is a Reiner-Eren swap in the most self-serving and selfish way. A lot of the changes will become very apparent as you read on. But the most important changes to remember are that Grisha is a Marleyan Doctor that “abandoned” his family (aka Carla’s last name is Jaeger. Not Grisha’s), Karina is inside the walls with the Attack Titan (and it’s the Braun Clinic that her parents run), and Zeke is Reiner’s big bro (So Zeke Braun). 
> 
> That said, this story will focus mainly on Eren’s adventures with the Warrior Candidates in Marley as they deal with a serial killer in Liberio. Sort of like a boy’s adventure novel except with fighting a serial killer instead of rescuing a dog. So it’s a little annoying, but there’s no Reiner in this story. I know, I know. I’m wasting a great opportunity. But I kind of wanted this to be just a short and sweet story about children being cute…
> 
> But unfortunately, I have 0 grasp on how to write children. This feels much too old for children’s line of thinking… >_> So please forgive me and just suspend your disbelief!
> 
> While there are implied gruesome deaths of characters (and ocs), I have done my utmost to keep the unnecessarily gruesome violence out as much as I can (There's still some around, unfortunately. But I've kept them as much as implied violence or sparring as I could get away with). As promised, the focus will be children being cute in really strange situations.
> 
> Warning: Reiner-Eren Swap AU. Mental/Emotional/Physical Child Abuse. Child Soldiers. Multiple character deaths. Discrimination against Eldians. Serial Killer. OCs. OOC. Found family. Foul language. Comfort part of Hurt/Comfort. Implied violence.

Eren knows men. 

He’s seen them at their worst, throwing themselves at Carla’s feet as they beg her to run away with them. Offering money they don’t have, gifts that they stole, and finally their own life if it means that Carla will stay with them, just them. Their dreams are sometimes grand. A life away from the internment zone, away from the Marleys. But most of the time, their dreams are short-sighted and easily crumble away into lover’s suicide.

He’s seen them at their best, showering Carla with extravagant gifts and gaudy show of love, all the while insisting that they know what’s best for her. That she’s a naive little princess who just needs her prince. Few of them even says irresponsibly that they’re fine if Little Eren comes along, because that’s just how much they love Carla! Without a doubt, these men disappear after a few hours and find themselves new women with their honeyed tongues.

“Mom,” he would always say after a tiring day of chasing those men away, “leave your job. Once I’m a Warrior, you don’t have to worry about money!”

Every single time, she would smile at him and ruffle his hair like she’s charmed by his “heroic” words. “Eren, I don’t want you to become a Warrior for my sake. Mommy is plenty strong enough to fight against these men!”

It makes him frustrated.

“Besides, it’s not just about the money. Do you know why these men come to the bar?”

He would roll his eyes, much too used to her lectures about why she works at the bar. This was an age-old argument between the two of them.

“Yes, yes. They’re oh-so-lonely! They have holes in their hearts. To close it, they need a ‘pretty young thing’ tell them about how cool they are!”

His mom would pinch his ear, sighing tiredly. “Stop talking like Cici. Eren, you should never turn your back on anyone who needs help. This world is hard enough to live for all of us. There’s no need to make enemies.”

It makes him so damned frustrated.

The tears won’t stop rolling down his face. He can’t stop the ugly sobs that keep leaving his mouth, even though he’s trying hard to be quiet. 

He’s long stopped registering the pitying looks adults give him as they insincerely apologize to him. He’s long stopped listening to their mocking words of comfort. He’s long stopped feeling the head pats or shoulder squeezes.

He doesn’t want to hear it. He doesn’t want to feel it. He doesn’t want it.

“Her body was found… in  _ that _ state in the alleyway. If she wasn’t a bar maid, the Public Security Authorities would have been more willing to look into who killed her.”

“It’s just bad luck.”

“Not really. She was inviting men to her house. What did she think was going to happen?”

“And there’s also the matter of her child… Does anyone even know who his father is?”

“Poor thing. To be born to such an irresponsible woman…”

“Who’s going to take care of him?”

“Don’t look at me! I have my hands full with my kids.”

“Ugh, what a pain.”

He doesn’t want it.

Their “truth” that they believe in. That’s not how it was. That’s not what happened. That’s not it at all.

Eren knows men. 

He knows their weakness and their strengths. He knows how pathetic they become when you corner them. He knows how desperate they get when at wit’s end. He knows how smug they get when they believe they’ve won. The brutality they leave behind is cruel and clumsy.

The injuries on his mom’s corpse was not done by those kind of men, lost in “passion.” The injuries were much more calculated and clean.

He knows his mom, too.

Without a doubt, she most definitely rushed to help whoever it was because that’s just how she lives. It just so happened to end in her death this time. But she wouldn’t have regretted rushing to help. So he’s not allowed to feel resentful of that. 

It’s not because of what people are saying about Carla “inviting men.” It’s not because Carla was a barmaid. It’s not.

He knows because his mom isn’t that kind of a person. His mom is a kind person who always helps people. So no matter what the people at this funeral says, no matter what the Public Security Authorities says, he’s going to hold tightly to what he knows.

He knows the truth.

“Oh, you poor thing. But now you can live in a proper household.”

“Yes, how Carla lived is no way for a small child like you to live.”

“I’m sure someone will take you in!”

He doesn’t want it. 

He doesn’t want anything from them.

“Eren,” the man who introduced himself as Mr. Grice says. He kneels before him. “Would you like to live with me and my family?”

He doesn’t want it.

“Carla… your mom… When the Grice family was shamed by my brother’s foolish doings, she was the only person who helped us without asking for anything in return. We would like to be able to repay that debt by helping you.”

He doesn’t want it. 

He’d much rather live with Elias, the bar owner, or any of the other bar workers. But none of them have shown up to the funeral, almost as if to say that they were never all that close to begin with. 

He feels hurt.

He feels hurt and crushed and so incredibly alone.

Despite pretending to give him a choice, they rob him of his free will.

At the young age of 5, Eren Jaeger loses his only family and comes to live with the Grices.

*

“Hi, I’m Colt!”

Eren is too tired from crying so much at the funeral to be able to do more than mumble out a soft “Hi” in return.

Colt tilts his head, staring at Eren for a beat longer. Then with a determined look, he holds a decently-sized kitty doll in his hands out for Eren to take.

“I’m a year old than you, so I’m your big brother. My toys are your toys.”

Eren doesn’t want it.

But…

Colt’s eyes are bright and determined. They look to Eren with kindness that none of the adults have in their eyes.

_ “This world is hard enough to live for all of us. There’s no need to make enemies.” _

Slowly, Eren takes the offered kitty in his hands. Colt’s eyes shimmer in excitement and glee. And just a little, Eren feels his loneliness ebb away.

“I’ll take good care of you!”

Mr. Grice bends down so that he’s near their eye-level. He smiles at Eren and ruffles Colt’s hair.

“We’ll all take good care of you.”

The look in his eyes aren’t as sincere as Colt’s. The smile on his face is much too forced. 

Eren doesn’t want it.

*

“You can sleep in my bed,” Colt tells him excitedly. “Oh! I can give you my other dolls, too! They can keep you company!”

With those words, Colt grabs more of his dolls and plushies from his toy box and puts them on the bed. He pats it proudly, looking at Eren with a smile. Eren feels warm.

“Where are you sleeping?” Eren asks.

“On the couch! I’m a big boy, so I don’t need a bed.”

Eren holds the kitty doll close to himself. Then… 

He reaches over and grabs Colt’s shirt lightly. If Colt moves, he’ll let go immediately. But Colt seems to be frozen, watching Eren with curious eyes.

“Don’t go.”

There’s a small pause that makes Eren release Colt’s shirt. Should he not have said anything? But out of everyone in this household, Colt looks like he doesn’t mind Eren being here. 

Colt makes him feel less lonely. Less hurt.

“Then I’ll stay with you until you fall asleep,” Colt promises.

He even goes out of his way to tuck Eren in, making sure to put the dolls around as if to remind Eren that he’s not alone. But now that Eren is settled so comfortably, he feels that this isn’t very fair to Colt. Shyly, he pokes Colt’s hand.

“Please don’t leave.”

Colt seems to think very hard about this. Then he must have come to a decision, because he nods seriously.

“I’ll stay with you. Eren, can you move over?”

When Eren does as asked, Colt climbs into bed with him. Few of the dolls fall down. But Eren rather prefers having Colt next to him than any of those dolls. He snuggles in close.

“Good night.”

*

He wakes up in the middle of the night, probably because that’s when his mom typically came home. Colt is sound asleep next to him. But he must have gotten bothered by all the dolls, because quite more have made their home on the ground. Eren quietly maneuvers himself off the bed to pick the toys up. It’ll be best to return them to the toy box.

A quiet murmur catches his attention. 

Are Colt’s parents talking about something? This late? 

Eren gets a bad feeling about this. He goes back to the bed to pick up the kitty doll. Then he quietly opens the door and sneaks out to the hallway to hear what’s going on better.

“… isn’t the life I promised you. But I… I couldn’t just leave him there. A lot of people badmouths Carla because of her choice in job and because she wouldn’t tell anyone who Eren’s father is. But she was still the only person who kindly checked in on us and helped us when she must have been struggling, too. So I… I’m really sorry. I should’ve at least talked with you about this and-”

“Darling, if you had left that poor child in that hyena’s den, I would have signed my divorce papers and taken Colt. You made the right choice.”

“But because of this, our family situation will probably be rough for a while. Not to mention we are still suffering the aftermaths of what my damned brother did.”

“Then I suppose we’ll just have to tighten our belts for a while. It’s nothing we haven’t done. And as soon as Colt becomes a Warrior, our situation will improve. So we just need to hold out for that.”

“I lucked out when I married you, didn’t I?”

“Damn right, you did. Things will become better. And our job as adults is to pave the way for our children.”

Eren thinks he’s heard enough when the discussion slowly dissolve into something else. He quietly and quickly returns to Colt’s room and closes the door. 

Colt is still sleeping soundly. Eren tries his best to not disturb him when he gets back into the bed. But he must not have done well enough, because Colt stirs.

“You okay?” he mumbles.

“Yeah.”

There’s a sleepy smile on Colt’s face as he blindly reaches over and pats Eren’s shoulder. Then he drifts back to sleep.

Eren knows men.

He knows his mom, he knows the truth, and he knows himself.

But it seems he does not yet know enough about family.

*

Something smells delicious.

That’s Eren’s first thought when Colt gently shakes him awake.

“Good morning!” Colt greets him with a bright grin. “Ready for breakfast?”

Due to his mom’s schedule of work, Eren is much used to sleeping in until late in the afternoon. Then he would help his mom with food, and they’d tackle the day’s chores if there weren’t any men at the door, trying to talk to Carla. So to be woken up in the morning leaves him a lot more tired than he thought he would be.

He just barely manages to hold the kitty in one hand and Colt’s hand in the other. Then he allows Colt to lead him to the kitchen. 

“Good morning!” Mrs. Grice greets them when they walk in. “I hope you guys are hungry! I made a lot!”

Despite the talk last night of needing to tighten their belts, there’s quite a lot of food presented for them on the table. Eren doesn’t feel comfortable at the sight.

“Good morning!” Colt tells his mom brightly. 

He helps Eren sits down at the table, getting extra cushions so that Eren can see over the table. Then Colt sits down in the chair next to him. 

Breakfast is scrambled eggs, thin strips of ham, and two well-toasted breads. There's more that Mrs. Grice is happily making for them.

Eren hesitantly nibbles a bit on the bread.

“Aren’t you hungry?” Colt asks, his mouth full of eggs.

“Colt, finish swallowing first.”

“Good morning!” Mr. Grice greets as he walks into the kitchen. He smiles brightly at the sight of the food. “Yum! It looks delicious as always!”

“Good morning, dear. Make sure to enjoy this because we won’t be able to eat like this always,” Mrs. Grice warns them. Then she turns to Eren. “We haven’t had the chance to be officially introduced yet, have we? I’m Colt’s mom. If you feel comfortable with it, feel free to call me Auntie. We’re all very excited to have you with us.”

“T-thank you,” Eren mumbles into his bread.

“Eat as much as you want,” she tells him.

But Eren doesn’t want it. His stomach twists into a knot, making it impossible to finish this bread. But he can’t bring himself to put it back down on the plate. The Grice family is doing their best to make him feel welcomed by giving him this much food. To waste it is to throw their kindness back in their faces. He can’t do that to them. 

He knows that they’re kind.

“Are you not hungry?” Colt asks him. “If you want, you can eat later.”

Slowly, Eren puts the bread back down on the plate. 

“I-I’m sorry.”

Mr. Grice ruffles his hair. “It’s fine. A lot of things have happened. Take your time.”

“I’ll warm the food for you when you get hungry,” Mrs. Grice promises.

“Give me a few to finish my breakfast. I’m going to introduce you to my friends,” Colt says.

“Are you sure that’s not too fast?” Mr. Grice asks his son.

But it seems Colt didn’t hear him, because he grins widely at Eren.

“You’re going to love them, too! They’re really funny!”

*

Marcel and Porco Galliard look curiously at Eren. Then they turn to Colt, waiting for an explanation.

“This is Eren. He’s my little brother,” Colt brags proudly.

“He can’t be your little brother,” Porco scoffs. “He wasn’t here yesterday.”

Eren clutches the kitty doll close to himself. “You’re mean,” he mumbles.

Porco looks taken back at that. He looks at Eren in disbelief before turning accusingly to Colt. Colt puffs out his chest and bravely glares Porco down. Marcel looks at all of them with amusement.

“Ignore Porco. He’s dumb,” Marcel tells him with a kind smile. He holds his hand out for Eren to take. “Let’s be friends.”

There’s no sign of insincerity in that smile. In fact, Marcel looks just as excited about getting to know Eren as he is curious. 

Eren thinks he can trust Marcel.

He hesitantly takes Marcel’s hand and is surprised by the firm handshake. 

“You’re always so old-school,” Porco complains. But he also holds his hand out to Eren, rubbing the back of his neck with the other one. “Sorry. I wasn’t trying to be mean.”

Although Porco is having a hard time meeting Eren’s eyes. There’s no insincerity in his words or form. He just looks like a shy guy who struggles to express himself. It’s not outright malice.

And as long as Porco is willing to put in this effort, Eren is willing to meet him halfway.

He shakes Porco’s hand, too.

“I forgive you.”

Porco grins, finally meeting Eren’s eyes.

“So where did you come from? Are you two really brothers? What games do you like to play? Do you like ice cream? Hey, are you-”

“Porco, calm down,” Marcel scolds his brother with a laugh. 

“W-we’re not… really brothers,” Eren answers. “My mom-”

Colt shakes his head determinedly. “No! That’s wrong, Eren. We are brothers. Don’t listen to Porco.”

“Oh, you shut up, Colt!”

*

The conversation moves really fast between the three of them, Eren thinks. He could have sworn they were just talking about the coolest bug color they’ve ever seen. But somehow, they’re now talking about their dreams.

“I’m going to be a Warrior!” Porco says proudly.

“Same here. If Porco is alone, he makes trouble.” Marcel whispers the last part to Eren, letting it be just loud enough for Porco to overhear.

“Hey! I heard that!”

Colt nods determinedly. “I have to be a Warrior. For my family.”

Eren feels like he can understand that sentiment. For as long as he can remember, he told everyone that he would become a Warrior. Elias used to ruffle his hair and tell him how proud he was to know that the future of Marley would be safe in Eren’s hands. The other employees at the bar would laughingly encourage him, too. 

“Become a Warrior we can all be proud of!” had been their constant reminder. 

He wonders if it’s okay to still believe in that, though. None of them had shown up to the funeral. None of them had come to see him since his mom’s death. But he doesn’t want to feel resentful of them either. He doesn’t think that his mom would be happy about that.

Then… 

“What about you?” Porco asks Eren when he realizes that Eren is staying quiet.

Squeezing his kitty tightly in his arms, Eren admits, “A Warrior, too.”

Marcel laughs. “Then we can all be Warriors together!”

What if he became a Warrior that his mom will be proud of? Someone who will help others? Someone who won’t turn his back on anyone who needs help?

If he was able to do something like that, then he’ll be able to make her proud of him, right?

“A Warrior your mom can be proud of?” Marcel echoes when Eren voices it.

Porco sniggers. “You’re a mommy boy?”

Colt elbows him. “Be nice! His mom died.”

Both Marcel and Porco turn to Colt in alarm.

“That’s not what you said before!”

*

Around mid-afternoon, Eren’s stomach finally catches up with him.

“I’m hungry,” he announces.

“I brought snacks,” Marcel tells him. 

He goes to his bag and pulls out three small packs of gummy treats. Eren gets the feeling he brought one for everyone, but he didn’t account for Eren. But despite that, Marcel shares all three packages with the four of them. They sit together under the shade of a tree while they rest.

“I’m glad you’re Colt’s little brother now,” Porco remarks lightly as he picks up the strawberry shaped gummy.

“R-really?” Eren asks, feeling uncertain about how to feel about that.

Porco nods. “That means you’re younger than me. So I’m your older brother, too!”

“Nuh-uh! I’m Eren’s older brother!” Colt protests. 

“Eh? Does that mean I’m everyone’s older brother?” Marcel asks. He sighs softly. “That sounds so troublesome.”

A family…

For Eren, it was very much just him and his mom against the world. He did wonder about his dad from time to time, but he didn’t ask because Carla always looked so tense whenever anyone asked about that. It’s fine, he always told himself. He had his mom. Sure, his mom’s coworkers and Elias were close to them. But they weren’t family.

The fact that they didn’t come to the funeral already speaks volume.

So to be told so readily by these guys that they’ll be his older brothers is so comforting.

It’s okay, they seem to tell him. You’re not alone.

We’ll be your brothers.

Eren etches this warmth into his heart.

*

That night when they are gathered for dinner, Eren takes the time to eat everything that’s in front of himself.

“Oh, I’m so glad that you have your appetite back!” Mrs. Grice… Auntie says with a bright smile.

Even Mr. Grice… Uncle looks relieved. The tenseness isn’t completely gone. But he does genuinely look happy that Eren is eating.

“Mom, Dad! Eren and I are both going to be Warriors together!” Colt brags to them.

Eren nods seriously. “S-so thank you for the food. A-and… thank you for taking me in. I won’t disappoint you.”

“Oh, you’re too young to be thinking about that! For now, just focus on taking care of yourself. Here, eat more,” Auntie says. She piles another scoop of mashed potatoes on Eren’s plate.

“Thank you!”

*

The tenseness of Uncle’s form gradually ebbs away. It’s something that takes time and effort. And to be honest, Eren is starting to believe that this is just Uncle’s natural state. He is naturally nervous and tense. 

As Auntie said, the amount of food reduces drastically since the first day Eren was with them. But he thanks them for the food that they do get and makes sure not to waste anything.

Colt is an important part of Eren’s life. The two of them go around together to do any chores and to go out to play. And when they meet up with Marcel and Porco, the four of them “train” to be Warriors together (They say train, but they’re really just running from one end of the park to the other).

The kitty doll that Colt gave him when they first met is something Eren holds tightly to. Of all the toys that Colt offered him, this is the only one that Eren has claimed as his own. It’s comforting. The size is just enough that when Eren hugs it, he can get both his arms around it fully while still feel satisfied by the cushion. It’s a comforting presence in his life, and he doesn’t quite understand why everyone is convinced that this doll is alive and tries to give it names and things. It’s just a doll.

On the third month of living with the Grices, the Warrior Examination begins.

*

“Er… E-Eren, maybe you shouldn’t take your Kitty to the exams,” Auntie says with a worried frown.

On instinct, Eren finds himself clutching tighter to his kitty doll. But Auntie is right. He shouldn’t be taking his doll to something as serious as the exam. It’ll get in the way, and most likely get him laughed at. He knows that, but he pouts anyways.

“I think it’s fine, Mom!” Colt says cheerfully. He gives Eren a bright grin. “We’ve been working hard for this, so there’s no way that we’ll mess up now. Eren, don’t pout. We’re going to be Warriors.”

It feels like he’s always being saved by his brother.

Eren nods. “I won’t disappoint you.”

“N-no, I’m not thinking that you’ll disappoint me. Both of you have been working hard, and I know that… No, you guys are right. You both will be fine. I’m sure your Kitty wants to be by your side to watch it, Eren. Then I’ll make your favorites tonight!”

“We’ll be off!”

*

The Warrior Examination is just the initial testing to weed out the “weaklings.” At the very least, that’s how Marcel explained it to them. The point of this is to have a good basis for Warrior Candidates. So all they’ll be doing for today should be just basic drills to test their abilities. Only those who cannot keep up will be dropped.

“Then most likely, through rigorous training and more tests, they’ll pick which of us Candidates will become a Warrior,” Marcel concludes. “At least, that’s how the previous Warrior Examination sounded like it went.”

Marcel, as it turns out, is a liar.

The Examination is to last for five days with a different test every day. For the first four days, they’ll find a few candidates that excel at whatever activity. And on the last day, they will do a written test where they’d pick a few more Candidates. Only those chosen from these five days will be qualified to be Warrior Candidates.

“I-it’s fine,” Colt says firmly. “We’ve been training hard. W-w-we got this!”

It sounds like Colt is trying to convince himself more than Eren. But he supposes pointing that out would be rude.

“There’s a rain cloud coming in, too. Ugh. That’s cruel. We have to complete the first exam in the rain?” Porco groans.

Eren doesn’t think this is cruel. It was probably chosen on purpose for the rainy weather. The goal is to carry a heavy load and their rifle across the field. That should be pretty hard as it is, but once you add the weather, you can really start figuring out who is good at strategizing. Without a doubt, Marcel will have this one in a bag. And Eren…

He stares at his kitty doll. It’ll get dirty if he carries it. Not to mention he might drop it or the rifle. Then should he just not bother with this? He could just go slowly on purpose and fail this one. There’s still four other exams that he can use. 

“Eren,” Marcel calls.

“Hm?”

With a knowing smile, Marcel takes out a small ball of yarn. “Why don’t we tie your kitty to your body so that it won’t fall when you run? Then, your hands will be free to hold the rifle, too.”

Did he come with that already prepared on purpose? Eren feels warm. He can always rely on his oldest brother.

“Thank you!”

*

They’re staring.

But Eren is fine with that. They can stare as much as they want. But they won’t be able to keep up with him. Especially not in the rain. 

Marcel helped secure his doll to his front. Then he put his military jacket (given to them by the Marleys as part of the exam) on top. He can’t zip it all the way, so his kitty doll’s head peeks out, which is what everyone is probably staring at. To be honest, he thought that the Marleyan soldiers will scold him for not wearing the jacket properly, but they all look too stunned to say anything to him.

Then that means this is fine.

The signal to start is a rifle shot. The group of children run forward in the rain across the field in a wild frenzy.

But Eren has a plan.

Without a doubt, Marcel is watching where to step very carefully before running across. So all Eren has to do is copy exactly where Marcel stepped. That will give him the safest path forward. And, in the last second, all he has to do is jump forward and snatch victory from Marcel’s nose.

That’s the plan.

That was the plan.

But about halfway across the field, one of the kids, who was rivaling him in following behind Marcel and Porco, trips and falls. Eren isn’t stupid. There’s absolutely no need for him to stop. His future requires for him to be near the top of the class so that he can become a Warrior. In order to achieve his dream, he should face forward like everyone else and run.

But he can’t.

He promised that he’d be a Warrior that his mom is proud of. 

That means he doesn’t turn his back on someone who needs help.

Eren turns to hold his hand out for the kid on the ground. “Are you okay? Can you stand back up?”

The kid’s brown eyes lock onto him in shock and disbelief. With how much rain falls, Eren can’t tell if this guy is crying in shame or in pain or if it's just the rain.

“Are you hurt anywhere?” he asks.

Slowly, the kid takes Eren’s hand and lets Eren pull him up. 

“T-thank you. I-I’m okay,” the kid says softly.

Eren smiles. “I’m glad to hear that.”

“U-uh… Y-your n-na-”

“Sorry. We should focus back on the test. I’ll talk to you later!” 

Since he’s sure that this kid is fine, Eren turns around and runs for the finish line. By then, Marcel has already finished with Colt and Porco close behind him. 

“Marcel Galliard, you pass!”

Ah, just as he feared. Only the one who finishes at the top passes, huh? Then Porco, Colt, and he will have to pass one of the other days. Let’s see. The tests that are left are sharp-shooting, hand-to-hand, basic first aid, and the written test. Colt should be able to pass the basic first aid without any issues, since he’s typically the one to take care of anyone with injuries when they’re fooling around. Porco should be fine with hand-to-hand, which means Eren will have to master sharp-shooting before the test tomorrow.

“Eren Jaeger,” Commander Magath growls when Eren crosses to the finish line. “What the hell was that?”

“Sir? I’m afraid I don’t know what you mean.”

“Why did you stop in the middle of the test to help someone else?”

Eren tilts his head to the side. “I didn’t realize we were forbidden from helping others. But if this was a real battlefield, then everyone by my side is my comrade. Why would I leave anyone behind if I can help them?”

From the corner of his eyes, he sees Colt making a motion of zipping his mouth. Oh, shoot. Was he supposed to just stay quiet and get lectured? He shouldn’t have said anything.

He feels himself pale. If he fails here then-

“Eren Jaeger, you pass!”

… Huh?

“Sir? M-may I ask why?” Eren asks in disbelief.

The Commander is already turning away from him when he answers. “Because if you abandoned one of your fellow Warriors, that’s the same as betraying the Marley by abandoning one of our weapons.”

That means these tests aren’t just a matter of measuring skills. They’re looking for other qualities, too. Given that, the only way to pass these exams aren’t just a matter of being the top.

Eren tilts his head.

Fascinating. Then what other qualities are they looking for? How can Eren turn this knowledge into a sure-pass for Porco and Colt?

“Congratulations!” Colt yells as he throws his arms around Eren. “I’m so proud of you! You did it!”

“H-huh? I didn’t really-”

Porco kicks Eren lightly and grins widely. “Our most worrisome brat ended up passing on the first day!”

“No, the most worrisome brat is you, Porco,” Marcel says. 

“What? Take that back!” 

Marcel ignores Porco and ruffles Eren’s wet hair as he comes to stand with them. “Congratulations, Eren.”

Right! He passed the test! T-that means he’s…

He feels his eyes water, so he quickly wipes his eyes. Then he grins at his self-proclaimed older brothers.

“I-I’m a Warrior Candidate!”

*

His kitty doll smells. He knows that it’s his own fault for stubbornly bringing his doll through the exam. So he should probably wash this doll himself.

“For sharp-shooting tomorrow, the most important thing is to not breath,” Marcel informs Colt and Porco seriously. “Every little bit of movement can throw the bullet off-course. So you have to make sure to minimize other variables.”

Colt gulps. “I-I see…”

“We can’t even practice this since we don’t have a gun,” Porco groans.

“Maybe we can practice hand-eye coordination instead? Like make small targets that we have to hit with a sling-shot,” Marcel suggests.

Eren stares at the three of them for a bit. He knows he should be participating. He knows that he should be helping them prepare Porco and Colt.

But…

“T-there’s something I have to do,” he tells them. “I’ll catch up to you in the park. So wait for me there!”

Then he turns and runs towards the bar.

*

The time when they finished the first day of Warrior Examination is mid-afternoon. By now, those who work at Elias’ bar should be awake. Some might have already shown up for a meal at the bar before getting ready for shift. Few times, Carla took Eren with her to the bar. That’s how he got to know the people there.

So he knows that it’ll be fine if he were to show up now.

He makes his way through the bad part of Liberio internment zone with aching familiarity. The only reason this place is considered “bad,” Carla once mentioned, was because the people here were all those who could not fit in anywhere else. Those who did not “look” normal, those who did not “think” normal, and those who did not “act” normal are all those who made their home here.

“So how come we don’t live here?” Eren asked.

Carla had a sad smile on her face then. “Because we’d make them uncomfortable. We’re too normal for them, Eren.”

Just a little, Eren wonders if that’s why they never came to the funeral.

They thought that Carla and Eren were too normal to associate with.

Eren knocks on the bar door and waits for someone to open the door.

“We don’t want to buy anything!” comes Ludgar’s roar from the other side.

Taking a deep breath, Eren yells back, “I’m not selling anything! It’s Eren!”

There’s a small pause before the door almost rips from the hinges from the force of Ludgar opening the door. His eyes are wide as he looks at Eren in disbelief. 

Eren steadies his heart and puffs his chest out.

“I want to talk to everyone.”

*

At the sound that Eren’s back, everyone gathers within seconds. They all look at him in awe, like they can’t believe that he made it here. And although some of them does seem genuinely happy to see him, none of them say anything about Carla.

It makes Eren even more frustrated. Does he look that helpless to them? That they have to tiptoe around him? Is that why they didn’t come to the funeral? Because he’s so pathetic? 

Hah! Joke’s on them. He’s a Warrior Candidate now. He’s going to make them eat their words.

He pulls out the Warrior Candidate armband from inside of his pocket and shows it to them.

“I’m going to be a Warrior!” he declares.

There’s a stunned pause for a second and then-

“Whoaaa! That’s awesome!”

With loud uproar of approval, Eren feels head ruffles and head pats. Don’t even get him started on the almost harsh back slaps followed by loud barks of laughter.

“Our little Eren’s all grown up!”

“He’s our little man now!”

“To be chosen as a Warrior… Ahhhh, you’re too cool!”

“D-don’t pinch my cheeks,” Eren grumbles.

The friendly words and affectionate physical contact doesn’t seem insincere. The way they gush over him is most definitely done lovingly. It makes no sense to him. What’s going on? Didn’t they think that he’s pathetic? Didn’t they think that he’s not worth it? That he’s too normal? That he’s not someone that they should waste time on?

So why are they being so kind now?

“W-why didn’t you… come to the funeral? I… waited.”

The grins diminish. 

Elias kneel before Eren and touch Eren’s shoulders. “Listen,  _ mein kleines Kätzchen. _ I’m sure your mother explained to you about the people in this side of the town,  _ ja? _ We helped pay for the funeral, but your neighbors found it important that we do not mingle with everyone else. They asked us to not come.”

So the people who spread false rumors about Eren’s mom are the reason why those who cared for her could not come? That seems backwards.

“It is. But people very rarely travel only forward.”

“S-so… it wasn’t… because of me?”

Cici lets out a loud gasp. “_Nyet! Nyet!_ Whoever told you that is a horrible and filthy liar! We wanted to come. We wanted to go to your side. Why would I ever abandon my cute little  _ kotyonok  _ to those damned hyenas?” 

“Eren, the doors that we can open for you from this side is limited. But on that side of Liberio, look. You’ve managed to become a Warrior Candidate,” Ludgar says.

“It sounds stupid,  _ ja? _ But that is how our society works. We are those at the bottom most rung on the ladder with no hopes of moving higher. But you can go much further than that. That’s what we hoped to give you by not going to that funeral. We should’ve realized it would hurt you to not tell you anything. Won’t you please forgive us?” Elias asks.

The people here are not his enemy.

Knowing that relaxes Eren considerably. He finds himself grinning despite himself.

“Please don’t do that again. I don’t like being alone.”

“Oh, but Eren,” Tilo sings with a wide grin. He reaches over and taps Eren’s kitty doll’s nose. “You aren’t alone, are you?”

Immediately, Eren finds himself thinking of Colt’s bright eyes. He finds himself thinking of Marcel’s and Porco’s delighted laughter. He finds himself thinking of Uncle and Auntie. 

He feels warm. 

“My new family is really nice!” he brags to them.

“That’s wonderful! Tell us about them!”

*

Eren realizes that he should probably head back when it gets closer to dinner time and those who work tonight have all shown up to the bar.

“I thought Miss Rosa works Monday nights?” he asks when he notices that the usually cheerful barmaid who always smells like roses isn’t here. 

Typically, there are three barmaids to work the weekends and two for the weekdays. But currently, there’s just Cici here. Even if it’s a weekday, wouldn’t it be hard for Cici to take care of shift by herself?

There’s a small look the adults exchange that Eren doesn’t miss. He knows that look. He’s seen it on the faces of adults when they think they know something they mustn’t tell children.

Eren resigns himself to be lied to.

“We’re… not sure where she is,” Ludgar says.

From the depressed looks on everyone else’s faces, Eren realizes that that’s the truth. The people who work at this bar is trusting him with the secrets of the adults.

This, he can’t help but to think, must be the power of being a Warrior Candidate.

“B-but you know how Rosa is!” Cici says cheerfully. “She probably got caught up in a fling between a handsome prince from a far away land and the local business man! Will she make the choice to move far away to become a princess? Or will she return to us?”

“As long as she doesn’t bring the trouble to us to clean up, I’ll be fine,” Tilo groans.

Ludgar sniggers. “Says the person who always jumps head first into the fight!”

Eren knows men.

He knows his mom, he knows the truth, and he knows himself.

He is starting to know more about family and the people of this bar.

He does not yet know about serial killers.

It doesn’t occur to him to be suspicious of mysterious disappearances.


	2. The Slow Build-Up of Unnecessary Fluff That This Stupid Author Is Dragging Out While Pretending That There is a Mystery Component to This Story

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you know you have like 256 character space to write a chapter title? Isn't that cool? You can literally fit a tweet in there.
> 
> So the wiki wasn't all that helpful in figuring out how old everyone is, even if they have birthdays. So I just made up everyone's ages. Marcel is the oldest at 7 (August birthday). Colt is 6 (August birthday) and Bertolt is 6 (December birthday). Eren's 5 (March birthday) and Porco's 5 (November birthday). Please note that these ages were picked specifically for this story and do not reflect canon in any shape or form.

“Eren Jaeger,” Commander Magath had said.

The boy who, in the middle of an exam, stopped to make sure that Bertolt is okay. The boy who, despite looking so fragile, didn’t hesitate to hold his hand out for Bertolt to take. The boy who, with a kitty doll peeking out from under his jacket, spoke unflinchingly to a Marleyan Commander.

Eren Jaeger.

Bertolt now has a name to attach to the strange boy. 

Unlike Bertolt, Eren was able to pass on the first day of the Warrior Examination. That means that if Bertolt wants to see him again, he needs to secure himself a position among the Warrior Candidate. After all, since Eren already passed, he won’t bother to come to the rest of the tests.

Tomorrow’s test is sharp-shooting. 

It’s not quite that Bertolt is confident in his abilities or skills. But unlike other kids who probably never even held a rifle before the test today, he has shot with one multiple times before. It’s a well-kept secret of the Hoover family. His uncle deals in some shady things that they’re not allowed to talk about. 

“Ah, but it’s all fine, you know? Because Bertolt, you will save us. No matter how badly my dealings go, if my nephew is a Warrior, our family will be fine! That’s why I’m teaching you how to use this now. Take this knowledge and ace that test!”

It’s cheating. 

It’s wrong.

It’s bad. 

But Eren still held his hand out to help Bertolt.

The smile on Eren’s face seems to be burned into Bertolt’s heart. He can’t stop thinking about it. Why? Why would anyone help someone else? It just makes no sense. If Eren’s smile had been more of a superior “I’ll be taking advantage of this later” kind, then at least Bertolt could attribute it to someone thinking of the future. 

But that’s not the kind of smile Eren had on his face.

It was a sincere “I’m glad you’re okay” kind. And the fact that Eren didn’t even stay to get Bertolt’s name or give his own means that he never expected any kind of repayment for that help. Who does that? They were in the middle of a test. Everyone next to them were the enemy. So why did Eren stop to help Bertolt?

A hand grips Bertolt’s shoulder, silently telling him to stop. He glances at his uncle’s deep-set frown and realizes that he must have made a mistake.

The two pull down their earmuffs.

Because this is a secret training, the two of them are in a secret underground bunker that his uncle apparently discovered in his younger days. He never said more about that, but Bertolt understood the quiet undertone to not ask. His uncle decorated it to be soundproof and set up a small shooting range for Bertolt to practice for the Warrior Examination.

“What are you doing, Bertolt? Focus,” his uncle scolds. “The test is tomorrow.”

Bertolt’s lips pull into a thin line as he nods seriously. He’s trying. He really is. But his mind keeps circling back to that smile. To that confounding moment. To Eren Jaeger.

His uncle seems to understand somewhat, because he lets out a soft sigh. He tells Bertolt to stand up.

“Let’s take a short break then.”

The two sit together against the wall, munching on some small pastry. This is really the only time outside of desserts that Bertolt is allowed to eat sweets. His uncle disagrees with his mom about the importance of sweets. He often claims that it’s important to eat sweets when you use your brain. Therefore, Bertolt needs to eat up if he’s going to become a Warrior.

“So what’s on your mind? You’ve been staring off into the distance since you returned from the test today… Huh?! Bertolt, don’t tell me? Did you fall in love?”

Bertolt feels his cheeks heat up at the accusation. “I-it’s not like that! It’s not like that! I just… D-during the test today, I tripped and fell. Everyone kept on going with the exam, but Eren came to ask me how I was and helped me back up. I… I don’t understand. We’re both competing for the Warrior Candidate position. Why would he risk his own position by helping me out?”

“Obviously to take advantage of you later. Bertolt, you can’t let such fake actions by others shake you. What is your goal?”

“To become a Warrior.”

His uncle nods proudly and ruffles Bertolt’s hair. 

“Good, good. Just focus on that. Forget anything else. If you can’t even become a Warrior Candidate, none of that will mean anything anyways. So clear your mind.”

His uncle is right. If Bertolt fails here, everything would have been for naught.

If he really wants to know the answer why Eren helped him in the middle of the test, then he must first become a Warrior Candidate himself.

In order to earn the right to talk to Eren, Bertolt resolves his heart.

*

It’s almost as if the heavens are smiling down at him.

Eren shows up to the test, holding the kitty doll in his arms. He’s next to the other person who passed yesterday (Marcel, if Bertolt remembers right), and the two of them are with two others who look nervous about the test. 

A group of friends, Bertolt thinks. Then until all four of them passes, they’ll all come to watch the tests? What pride. To think that their entire group can pass. Do they also have some kind of a cheat like Bertolt? Or are they all just foolishly hopeful?

Possibly because Bertolt keeps staring, Eren glances up and meets eyes with him. Bertolt feels his cheeks redden. He quickly looks away, unable to hold the gaze for too long.

Dangerous. That was much too dangerous.

He hasn’t earned the right to talk to Eren yet. Until he passes the test today, he needs to keep his focus. 

Scolding himself for getting so distracted, he takes a deep breath. Okay. He got this. Just you wait, Eren. Bertolt will have this one in a bag in minutes. 

*

His uncle warned him that it would be suspicious if he did too well. So he made sure that one bullet went out of bounds, another just barely on target, and the rest around the first and second rings away from the bullseye. This way, it looks like he has some talent in this while making it seem like he has never shot before.

He’s glad that he took such a precaution, because most of the kids seem to have trouble just hitting the target. 

If the Marleys realize that he’s too good at this, his family will be in danger.

“Bertolt Hoover, you pass!”

Yes! Yes! And now that he’s a Warrior Candidate…

Without registering anyone or anything else, Bertolt makes a beeline straight for Eren, who has been watching the test with Marcel a few ways away from the Marleyan Commander. Both Eren and Marcel seem to realize that something is off, because they give Bertolt confused looks. 

Bertolt comes to a stop right in front of Eren. He can feel his cheeks redden, but he can’t allow himself to stop now. Using the momentum of his victory, he speaks.

“My name is Bertolt Hoover. You helped me out yesterday. And I… er… t-that is…”

Eren’s brows furrow and he tilts his head to the side. “I’m sorry. I think you have the wrong person.”

H-huh?! No, no! That can’t be right! Bertolt recognizes that kitty doll. No one else has a doll like that! And no one is crazy enough to bring it to the Warrior Examination, let alone help someone. Bertolt didn’t make a mistake.

Then doesn’t this mean that Eren doesn’t care? 

He helped Bertolt without any intention of getting reward or a favor out of it. But why? Why wouldn’t he want a reward? Why wouldn’t he want a favor?

“Well, if that's all,” Eren says. 

He tries to side-step Bertolt. Except Bertolt can’t just let this chance slip by.

Without thinking, he reaches for Eren and is stopped by Marcel. The glint in Marcel’s eyes clearly warn Bertolt not to approach this carelessly. And any normal time, that would have been terrifying. It would have been more than enough for Bertolt to go hide in the corner.

But he is still riding on the adrenaline of victory.

“W-wait, I-I wanted to thank you! A-a-and… Please be my friend!”

Bertolt turns his desperate eyes towards Eren. A second passes between the two of them before Eren’s face turns pink. At the sight, Bertolt finds his own face heating up.

“E-e-eh?! M-me?” With that loud outburst, Eren hides his face using his kitty doll.

Cute. 

Someone kicks Bertolt’s back with way more force than necessary. Bertolt falls to the ground as Marcel pulls Eren out of the way. When Bertolt looks up, it’s to three pairs of angry eyes and the acrylic of the kitty doll’s eyes.

“The hell are you doing to my little brother?” one of them growls, lips pulled back into a terrifying scowl.

Bertolt gulps. He stammers to answer the question, but he finds that he’s having trouble forming words. 

“I’m his older brother. Stop taking my line,” another one growls, more at the first one than at Bertolt.

“S-stop!” Eren says. His face is still pink, but he moves to stand between Bertolt and the others. “D-don’t bully m-my… f-friend.”

“Friend?” the first one asks, sounding more disgusted than anything.

Bertolt wants to cry.

“Guys, we’re going to get in trouble. Let’s talk at the park,” Marcel tells them.

Immediately, they all straighten (and stand, in Bertolt’s case) to show that they’re just fooling around. The Marleyan soldiers glance at them coldly, but otherwise don’t say anything to them.

Bertolt sighs in relief.

“I… n-never had a friend before,” Eren tells Bertolt while half-hiding behind his doll.

“M-me neither,” Bertolt admits, face turning red every time he catches sight of Eren's blushing face.

Slowly, Eren lowers the doll so that he’s no longer hiding. He looks at Bertolt with brightly shining eyes that makes Bertolt think of…

Stars.

There are stars in Eren’s eyes.

“I… uh…” Eren smiles bashfully. “I look forward to being friends with you!”

The words Bertolt wants to say get stuck in his throat. He just numbly nod.

*

The five of them end up at the park back in the internment zone. Along the way, they talk a bit about themselves.

Marcel and Porco are actually brothers. Colt’s family took Eren in after the death of his mom. The four of them have been together for the last three months or so, training together for the Warrior Examination. In return for this information, Bertolt told them a bit about his own family (nothing about his uncle, of course). 

“You were pretty good at shooting,” Porco remarks.

Bertolt shrugs sheepishly. “I just got lucky.”

“No, you were aiming for those spots. I was next to you, so I saw you. Everyone who missed looked sad and angry. You looked happy.”

“I… I was…” 

Bertolt doesn’t know what to say. He can’t just blurt out about his family. He has no doubts that he can trust Eren with the secret. But the rest of them haven’t shown any sign that they’re trustworthy. But if he doesn’t say the truth, then what can he possibly say to-

“He probably used one before,” Eren says with a shrug.

The rest of them all turned to look at Eren in disbelief. How did Eren know? Does he also know about Bertolt’s uncle’s other doings? But if Eren knows all of that and is sharing them with the others, then they must be trustworthy, right? So should Bertolt just trust them?

“How? No one has a rifle in here. Just soldiers,” Colt points out.

Eren tilts his head. “But they’re pretty easy to get, aren’t they? It’s not like they’re forbidden.”

“W-whoa,” Marcel says, holding his hand up. “What do you mean they’re easy to get?”

“Elias has two behind the bar counter. I don’t know how many Ludgar has, but he mentioned few different models. And Mama Lou said she doesn’t like them but has one for protection.”

Bertolt has no idea who any of these people are. Just a little, he wonders if maybe these are the people his uncle does business with. And if that’s the case, then why does Eren know them?

“Eren, who are those people?” Colt asks worriedly.

Oh, Bertolt isn’t the only one who doesn’t know them then. He doesn’t know why, but he feels relieved at the thought.

“They worked at the bar with my mom.”

Come again? A bar?

“Wait, so you’ve shot a rifle before?” Porco asks in disbelief. “And you didn’t offer that for training?”

“No. Mom wouldn’t let me even go near one. Oh, but Tilo taught me a bit of self-defense. Want me to teach you that for tomorrow?”

Porco grins widely. “Yeah! Teach me!”

*

Bertolt finds himself sitting with Colt and Marcel on the grass. Colt holds Eren’s kitty doll. The owner of the doll faces against Porco with earnestness that Bertolt can’t tear his eyes from. If he were to ask later to learn, too, would Eren smile that happily?

“Porco picked that up pretty fast,” Colt remarks lightly.

Marcel laughs. “He’s always been uncanny good when it comes to physical activity. I’m pretty sure he’ll be able to pass tomorrow without issues. Even if he can’t win, how well he can move should be more than…”

When Marcel suddenly trails off like that, both Colt and Bertolt turn to stare at him. Quietly, they follow his line of sight to Eren and Porco.

Eren has Porco pinned to the ground, laughing brightly. There’s a frustrated expression on Porco’s face as he snarls at Eren. His face is red with embarrassment, and he struggles to free himself from the pin.

“You’re supposed to be teaching me!” Porco yells. 

With a giggle, Eren releases him and helps him back up. “Sorry! But now that you’ve felt it, you get it, right?”

“H-huh?”

“Try it on me.”

Porco stares at Eren blankly. “What do you mean ‘try?’ You didn’t even tell me what I need to do!”

Eren looks just as confused by that.

“You just do it. What do you mean tell you what to do? Didn’t you feel it? You saw how I moved, right? Just copy that.”

Marcel lets out a soft sigh. “Sorry. Let me take care of them first.”

Bertolt watches as Marcel goes to be the translator between the two of them. Despite speaking the same language, it seems that miscommunication is common here.

“Hey, why did you suddenly want to be Eren’s friend?” Colt asks.

Reluctantly, Bertolt looks away from Eren to glance at Colt. “I… I don’t know. I just… wanted to thank him, I guess?”

“But you can thank him without being friends.”

Bertolt doesn’t understand what Colt is getting at. When he asks, Colt’s lip pull into a pout. He holds Eren’s kitty doll close to himself.

“I… don’t mind Porco and Marcel because they’re my friends, too. But… I don’t like the thought of sharing my little brother with others.”

“Then… I’ll be your friend, too,” Bertolt promises.

Colt seems to think about that for a second before he smiles. “Okay! Then can you hold Kitty for a bit? Marcel looks like he needs help.”

Bertolt accepts Eren’s doll (It smells like some kind of flowers. Was it recently washed?) and watches as Colt rushes to Marcel’s side. It looks like Marcel must have fallen when he was trying to demonstrate. His knees are skinned. Both Porco and Eren are sitting next to him, staring at the blood with teary eyes.

“Ah, I forgot to get more bandages,” Colt realizes when a search through his pocket returns empty.

“M-Marcel’s going to die?!” Porco exclaims.

Eren tries to stifle his sob by covering his mouth. Bertolt’s grip on the doll tightens at the sight. He stands up but becomes uncertain as to what to do from here. 

“No, stop that. I’m fine. It’s the same when you skinned your knees, Porco,” Marcel tries to explain.

“B-b-but there are no bandages.” Eren’s voice trembles.

Bertolt can’t watch this anymore. He rushes to Eren’s side and hands the doll over. That seems to be the correct thing to do. Eren takes his kitty doll back and holds it tightly in his arms with a soft “Thanks.”

With Eren consoled, Bertolt turns to the rest of them. 

“Why don’t we go to the Braun Clinic?”

*

The Braun Clinic is on the border between the market place and the residential area. Bertolt thinks that it was built that way on purpose so that the clinic could serve as a place for anyone to reach quickly. That said, it’s not quite that the clinic is in the middle of the internment zone. The bad part of Liberio and the cemetery are further off, so the clinic is really just accessible for normal members of society. 

Or at least that’s how his uncle explained it.

The five of them make their way to the clinic. From the park, it should have taken maybe three minutes. But they stopped often to make sure that Marcel wasn’t “dying,” as Porco put it. Bertolt thinks that he’s being overly dramatic, but Eren looks like he believes Porco’s words. So he decides to play along, too. That’s really the only reason why it takes them so long to get there.

Porco and Colt help Marcel explain what happened. And since there aren’t any other patients, Dr. Braun sees to them immediately.

“Training for the exam, huh?” he asks with a kind smile. “You shouldn’t overdo it. Rest is just as important, understand?”

“Yes sir!” they all chorus.

Bertolt glances at Eren. Instead of watching to make sure that Marcel gets all better, Eren is examining his kitty doll.

“Is something wrong?” Bertolt asks.

Eren flinches at suddenly being addressed. He glances at Bertolt and gives him a sheepish smile. “My doll…”

Bertolt looks at Eren’s doll and sees what the problem is. The seam holding the body and the left arm together is coming loose. A bit of stuffing can be seen.

“… looks like Marcel.”

“Pfft…” Bertolt covers his mouth to stifle his laughter. “M-Marcel’s legs are injured, not his arm. Hehe…”

Eren stares at him for a second longer before smiling. “That’s the first time you laughed today.”

“O-oh… S-sorry, I don’t normally laugh when people are hurt.”

“If you did, I’d be worried.” Eren turns his attention back to his doll. He lifts it in the air with a frown. “But what should I do with you?”

“Grandpa, Grandma wanted to know if you want anything special for dinner,” Zeke Braun says as he walks into the clinic.

He pauses when he sees the rest of them and gives them an awkward wave.

Bertolt has heard of Zeke Braun. Actually, he’s pretty sure that everyone knows of him. He’s a Warrior Candidate from when the Warrior Division was first established. Even when majority of the Warrior Candidates from that time have become unable to fight for various reasons, Zeke stayed.

“I’m fine with whatever she’s in the mood for,” Dr. Braun says.

Zeke nods. Before he can turn and leave, though, Eren grabs his pants hesitantly.

“Is something wrong?” Zeke asks. He immediately kneels down so that he’s more at eye-level with Eren.

Bertolt finds it striking. Most of the teens that he’s ever met would never bother to get down to their level. In fact, don’t most of them usually prefer to pull away when someone Eren’s age try to talk to them?

“Erm… M-my doll… D-do you have needle and yarn?” Eren asks, holding his kitty doll up so that Zeke can see the damage.

“Oh, I see. Your doll got injured. Don’t worry, you came to the right place! I’m the best toy doctor there is! Give me a second. Let me get my tools!”

With that, Zeke cheerfully leaves the room. Eren watches him leave and lets out a sigh of relief.

“I’m glad he’s friendly. I was scared he’d be like Commander Magath.”

Bertolt smiles. “Me too. He’ll be working with us, so I’m glad he’s nice.”

“Right. We’re all Warrior Candidates, aren’t we?” Eren says. He looks at his kitty doll with a contemplative smile. “Porco and Colt better not fail.”

“Porco worked really hard today. And Colt looks like he’s asking Dr. Braun for help.”

Bertolt wonders if he said too much. But he doesn’t think it’s wrong to be encouraging. He witnessed their determination firsthand. Unlike him, who has been given a cheat, these guys are fighting on their own to be Warrior Candidates. He thinks there’s nothing cooler.

Eren glances at Bertolt with a grin. It makes Bertolt infinitely glad that he spoke up.

“Thanks!”

*

Zeke returns with a small sewing kit. He sits down on one of the chairs by the wall and threads the needle. Then he holds his hand out for Eren’s doll.

“The patient, if you will?”

“H-here, sir,” Eren says, handing his doll over.

Zeke takes it seriously. “Hm… I see, I see. The damage is worrying, but it’s nothing I can’t fix. Now, what’s the name of our patient here?”

Eren looks uncertainly at Zeke for a second before looking to Bertolt for help. When Bertolt gives him a helpless shrug, Eren turns back to Zeke with furrowed brows.

“What… are you doing?” Eren asks Zeke.

“Hm? I’m the toy doctor. Don’t you know? When toys get injured like this, you come to me to patch them up. Like how you guys go to my grandpa.”

Eren nods slowly like he still doesn’t understand. Bertolt wonders what kind of an upbringing Eren must have had to be confused by this. When Bertolt was younger, he used to (like Zeke) pretend the toys were real, too. But his uncle reminded him how important the Warrior Examination is, so he put his toys away so that he could focus. He thought, because Eren held that doll so close to himself, that Eren was proving someone like Bertolt’s uncle wrong.

Zeke has a kind smile on his face, but it looks sad somehow. Bertolt wonders what kind of conclusion he must have drawn to make that kind of face. 

“Am I making you uncomfortable? Should I stop?”

Eren shakes his head no. “I mean, I don’t really care. It’s just confusing. This is a toy. It doesn’t have feelings.”

Bertolt feels taken back. Is it odd to think of toys with feelings? He finds himself glancing towards Colt, Marcel, and Porco. Do those three also feel the same way as Eren does? Is that the difference between them and him? But Eren was so emphatic towards Bertolt. How does he treat his doll so coldly when he holds onto it so tightly?

“Is that so?” Zeke asks. 

He takes a few minutes to stitch the arm securely back to the doll’s body. Then he holds the kitty doll up so that the kitty’s acrylic eyes are staring at Eren. He ducks behind the doll as if to hide behind it. 

“You don’t think I have feelings? How rude!” Zeke speaks in a high-pitch tone as he manipulates the kitty doll’s arms so that it crosses in front of its body.

Eren’s eyes widen in alarm. He glances at the kitty doll and then at Bertolt as if asking for help. Bertolt isn’t too sure what to do. Should he ask Zeke to knock it off? But what if that leads to Zeke marking him as a target later? But Eren is his friend! He should most definitely side with Eren. But… but…

Zeke glances at him and grins. He turns the kitty doll to face Bertolt. 

“You think so too, don’t you, boyo? It’s rude!” Zeke continues in that high-pitch tone.

Bertolt quickly covers his mouth to prevent himself from bursting out laughing. When he feels like he has control over his laughter, he slowly pull his hands down. Honestly, what’s Zeke doing? He’s a Warrior Candidate, so he should think more about his position and…

His eyes catch sight of the confusion on Eren’s face. 

Oh!

It suddenly clicks in his head exactly what Zeke’s purpose is. It’s so simple now that he thinks about it. Zeke is just trying to explain this to Eren in terms that will make sense to Eren. Since Zeke was a Warrior Candidate for so long, he should definitely know how to connect to Eren.

Bertolt glances at Zeke and gives a small nod. 

As Eren’s friend, he wants to help.

“Eren,” he says, “it’s rude.”

“E-eh? B-but it’s a… toy?” Eren sounds more and more uncertain now. 

Zeke turns the kitty doll back to look at Eren. 

“Am I just a toy to you? I’m hurt!”

With those high-pitched words, Zeke moves the arms of the kitty doll so that it’s covering the eyes. Then and only then, Zeke pokes out from behind the doll and pats its head.

“You poor thing. There, there.” Then he glances at Eren with an imploring look. “Aren’t you going to apologize?”

“I-I’m sorry…?” Eren stammers.

Zeke shakes his head gravely. “That’s no good. I don’t feel any sincerity in it at all.”

It seems that Eren’s the type of person who gets swept up in the mood of things. Bertolt is glad. Because Eren determinedly turns to his doll.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings!”

Zeke laughs brightly and ruffles Eren’s hair. He holds the cat doll so that its arms are wide open like it’s asking for a hug. Eren immediately holds it tightly in his arms.

Cute, Bertolt thinks. 

“Is it still just a toy?” Zeke asks.

Eren shakes his head, burying his face against the kitty doll. 

Cute, Bertolt thinks again.

“It’s my toy,” Eren mumbles. Then he looks up from his doll and gives both Zeke and Bertolt a pouty glare. “I-I don’t need you two to tell me that. It’s mine.”

Zeke nods. “Yes, it’s yours. And just as much as you care for it, it cares for you, too. Don’t you feel comforted when you hold it? See? It’s not confusing anymore, is it?”

Eren seems to think about that seriously. He turns to look at his kitty doll in his arms. Then he turns to Zeke and Bertolt with a shy smile.

“T-thank you.”

*

They all end up going their separate way at the clinic. Bertolt wouldn’t have minded if they played around for a bit longer, but he supposes they should probably all go home to eat dinner.

“We’re going to cheer for Porco for tomorrow’s test. Are you coming?” Eren asks Bertolt.

“Y-yes!”

Eren and the others wave goodbye to Bertolt. “See you tomorrow!”

Tomorrow…

That’s right. Their friendship isn’t just a today thing. Bertolt will not go back to being alone after this. 

He feels his spirit soar even though they’re saying goodbye. 

Friends! 

For the first time in his life, he has friends!

*

Bertolt arrives home, just in time for dinner. His family all seem to release a collective sigh of relief at the sight of him. And it’s not until then that he realizes that, yeah, he’s actually never stayed out late by himself like this before.

“Where have you been?” his mom asks, worry clear in her voice.

Did she, like everyone else, fear that he would fail today’s test? Or that he would say or do something unnecessary that caused for Marleyan soldiers to come here? Although he feels guilty that he made his family worry like this, he feels a bit hurt that they couldn’t trust him.

“S-sorry. I was… o-out with friends.”

He feels his cheeks heat up at the admission. He has friends! More so than that, his friend is…

Eren’s smile as he held his kitty doll close to himself flashes in Bertolt’s mind. His friend is someone so cute and kind.

“You made friends, Bertolt?” his dad asks, astonished.

It’s not that Bertolt blames them for looking so shocked. He’s shocked, too. Especially since he’s the one who reached out and said that he wanted to be friends. Or perhaps he’s more shocked that Eren said yes? He’s not sure. But there’s most definitely lots of shock to be had.

“Never mind that, what about the Warrior Examination?” his uncle demands.

“Oh right. I’m a Warrior Candidate.”

But that feels like such old news now. Did that really all happen today? 

There’s a stunned pause as if none of them actually believed that he could do it. Then his uncle throws his arms in the air and yells in triumph.

“I knew you can do it, Bertolt! Hahaha! I told you all the practices will pay off! Now all you have to do is become a Warrior. And everything will be fine!”

Bertolt’s mom frowns. “Isn’t this enough? Bertolt’s already done so much. If you’re that worried-”

“We’re not having this discussion again,” his uncle snaps. “We’re not going to end up like the Grices. Bertolt here will make sure of it. After dinner today, let’s shoot a few rounds. You understand how important this is, don’t you, Bertolt?”

“Y-yes. I do.”

His uncle nods. “Good. Discussion is over.”

*

Porco doesn’t even look nervous. Bertolt can’t help but to be impressed by that.

“Hm? It’s not impressive. He’s just an idiot,” Marcel tells Bertolt with a laugh. 

“I heard that!” Porco grumbles, shooting his brother a dirty look.

Marcel holds his hands up innocently. 

“Of course, I’m not nervous,” Porco continues with a scowl on his face. “The hell would I be nervous for? I’ve worked hard to train. I’m not going to get left behind. Are you accusing me of being nervous? You want to fight?”

Bertolt realizes belatedly that he’s wrong. Porco is most definitely nervous.

“But just so you know. I am not nervous. Because that’s not cool.”

“Not cool?” Bertolt echoes.

Porco nods, a light blush on his face. “Since I’m older than Eren, I need to be a cool role model for him.”

“But are you actually older than him?” Marcel asks. “We never checked. But-”

“Shut up! I’m older. I’m  _ not  _ the baby of the group anymore.”

Bertolt gets the feeling that this is an age-old discussion between them.

“Porco, Marcel, Bertolt! Good morning!” Eren and Colt yell out.

“Good morning!”

*

No amount of training could have prepared them for Annie Leonhart. 

Terrifying does not even begin to describe her. Without a single flicker of emotion on her face, she simply flips and throws people over her shoulder and down to the ground. 

Porco doesn’t stand a chance.

With three matches to prove that she can consistently show results, she passes the exam.

“Now then, let’s see what the rest of you can do,” the Commander says to the rest of the kids.

Porco is able to pass thanks to that. 

*

“That was so cool!” Eren gushes, ignoring Porco’s growls.

Bertolt thinks it might be on purpose, but with the way Eren’s eyes are sparkling, it’s a bit hard to tell. They’re walking back to the park now that the test is done for the day. Bertolt guesses that they’ll probably go back to do “training.” Except how do you do that for basic first aid test? Perhaps they’ll head to the Braun Clinic again?

“The way she moved was so smooth! Porco didn’t even have a chance! She was like… Colt, hold Kitty for a bit.”

Eren tosses the doll to his brother and copies Annie’s form. Seeing that, Marcel stops to stand before him, fists up for a fight. Bertolt is rather amazed at how easily Marcel guessed that Eren would want a sparring partner. Because it doesn’t seem like Porco or Colt realized it either.

Marcel throws a punch. But that seems to be exactly what Eren wanted. Just as Annie did earlier that day, Eren dodges the punch and goes in for a hold that Bertolt still doesn’t quite understand how it works. But Eren must have misstepped or mistimed something, because he ends up awkwardly tangled up with Marcel instead.

“Pfft! Hahahaha! That’s not how that was at all!” Porco laughs.

Colt nudges him. “Then why don’t you show us?”

From how quickly Porco shuts up, Bertolt figures that even Porco can’t imitate Annie that easily. But Eren almost had it, didn’t he? At least, Bertolt thinks so. The form was just a little off, but it looked like what Annie did. 

“Maybe it was like…?” 

Eren tries something, over Marcel’s protest to stop. Bertolt can’t quite make out exactly what happened. But the result is the two of them ending on the ground as a tangled mess. 

Bertolt and Porco help the two back up. Colt examines the two for any injures (Bertolt assumes it’s practice for tomorrow), and once he’s satisfied, returns Eren’s doll back.

“I’m going to ask her how she did it,” Eren declares.

“I doubt she’ll just teach it to you,” Porco points out.

“But there’s no harm in asking,” Colt counters. He gives Porco a firm look when he receives a small glare for his words.

“Maybe the problem is your leading hand?” Marcel suggests. He taps Eren’s left hand. “You always lead with your left hook. But when Annie went, she used her right hand first, didn’t she?”

Bertolt honestly doesn’t recall. He can’t believe Marcel was able to pick up on such small detail in those three short fights. From Porco’s proud grin, though, it seems that that’s just how Marcel normally is. Jeesh, no wonder he was able to finish first on the first test.

Eren stares at his hand like it has personally offended him. “Maybe I copied Tilo too much.”

“You should be coming up with your own fighting style,” Porco tells him.

“Do you even have one?” Marcel asks his brother with an amused smile.

Porco grins. “Punch, punch, punch! And if that doesn’t work, kick all the way! Dodge when you gotta. But being a real man is all about the counter.”

Somehow, Bertolt doesn’t think that’s quite right. But his training has always focused on sharp-shooting from afar, so he doesn’t have any wisdom to share. He wonders if he should ask Eren to teach him how to fight close combat later. It should be useful to become a Warrior.

“Hey, what’s that guy doing?”

At Eren’s question, they all turn to look at someone who seems to be hunched over in the alleyway between two shops. The person’s shoulders heave and…

“Ew… Is he throwing up?” Porco groans.

Bertolt doesn’t see what the problem is. Sure, it is a bit early in the afternoon, but it’s not that odd for someone to get smashed already. Maybe this person is just having a really bad day. Maybe this person is just-

“I think that’s blood,” Colt says, squinting.

That doesn’t sound very good. Bertolt is about to suggest that they keep walking when he realizes that Eren isn’t standing with them anymore. In fact, Eren is boldly approaching the person in the alleyway without any fear of consequences. 

Immediately, the rest of them runs to stop him. But they’re just a few steps too late.

“Hey mister, are you alright?” Eren asks the person.

The person in the alleyway is a ragged looking teenage boy. He holds a handkerchief that’s slowing being dyed red close to his mouth. He holds his other hand up to signal to them to not approach any closer. 

“This is… c-contagious,” the teen struggles out between his coughs.

Colt grabs Eren’s shoulder to pull him away. 

“Contagious or not, if you need help, you need help. Are you trying to get to the Braun Clinic?” Eren asks him.

How can Eren prioritize others like that? Isn’t it scary? When you see someone who’s clearly trying to tell them to leave him alone, why does Eren try to approach that person? Bertolt can’t even begin to understand what goes through Eren’s head. But he understands that this is the same side of Eren that reached out to him. If Eren wasn’t like this, Bertolt would never have made any friends.

The teen stares at Eren and then at the reluctance on the rest of their faces. Then he pulls his handkerchief down with a sneer.

“Did you not hear me? What? You want to die a bloodied death before your time?”

There are bits of blood on the teen’s teeth. It makes his furious face look that much more terrifying. Bertolt finds himself taking an unconscious step back in fear. But that anger might have been too much, because the teen covers his mouth again, coughing violently into his handkerchief.

“What…? Hartwin?”

Zeke has a brown bag of groceries in one hand when he notices them. He quickly moves to be the buffer between the children and the coughing man. Bertolt feels grateful for that simple gesture, even though he knows that if this disease is contagious, then this little won’t shield them from it.

“What are you doing out of the hospital?” Zeke asks the teen with worry thick in his voice.

“They said… there’s nothing more they can do for me. I was just… finding a place to die,” the teen growls out between coughs.

Zeke’s expression is that of grief. Bertolt wonders what their relationship is.

“Come on then,” Zeke says softly. He holds one hand out for the teen to take. “I’ll take you home.”

“Want me to carry the bag?” Eren asks.

Zeke must have remembered that they’re there. He gives them an apologetic smile and passes the bag over to Eren. Porco takes it from him almost before Eren’s hands touch the bag, sticking his tongue out at Eren for being too slow. The rest of them awkwardly watch as Zeke supports the teen and begins to walk towards the clinic.

“I thought what he had was contagious?” Marcel asks as they trail behind the two teens.

“It’s not contagious. During one of our missions, he just-”

The teen smacks Zeke on the backside of his head. “Oops! Lost control of my body!”

Zeke shoots him a tired look. But they all get the picture.

The teen lied to stop them from helping him. Bertolt thinks he might understand why. If Zeke was on a mission with this teen (and the fact that Zeke knows him), then this teen must have been a Warrior Candidate once upon a time. But the armband denotes him as a normal Eldian. Then this teen is one of those failed Warrior Candidates?

When they get to the Braun clinic, Mrs. Braun leads them all away from Zeke and the teen.

“Thank you so much for helping Zeke,” she tells them in the kitchen. The smile on her face is warm, but it’s clear that she’s worried about the teen, because she keeps glancing towards the direction of the clinic.

“Is he going to be okay?” Colt asks her.

“Hartwin is…” Whatever cheerful thing she wanted to say trails off. With a sad look in her eyes, she says, “No, I’m afraid not. If he was released from the hospital, then they must have given up on him, too.”

“… Hey, where’s Eren?” Marcel asks, his voice sharp.

They realize with a start that they were too busy with putting the grocery away to realize that Eren isn’t with them anymore. Even though they don’t say anything, they know exactly where he must be. They all rush to the clinic. 

Someone seems to be yelling. They can hear muffled words that gets clearer when they get near.

Bertolt really hopes Eren is okay. Zeke is there, so it should be okay, right? Zeke stood to be their shield earlier, so he should be protecting Eren right now, right?

“- would you know?! It’s terrifying! It’s so damned terrifying that I feel like I’m going to lose my mind! I don’t want to die! I don’t want to die!”

They walk into the clinic to this scene:

The teen is kneeling on the ground, arms wrapped tightly around Eren as he cries and cries and cries. Zeke is discreetly wiping his eyes, just few steps away from them. Dr. Braun is picking up Eren’s doll that’s on the ground. Bertolt guesses that it was thrown there.

Dr. Braun notices them first. He makes a small motion to let them know to be quiet as he holds Eren’s doll out for one of them to take. 

Marcel does.

Then Dr. Braun goes to gently rub the teen’s back, whispering soft words that must have been comforting to hear. Eventually, the teen releases Eren to turn to Dr. Braun. The teen, still crying, is held gently by the old doctor as Zeke ushers Eren out of the room with the rest of them.

None of them say anything until they’re outside of the clinic.

“That was scary, wasn’t it?” Zeke asks them with an apologetic dip of the head. “He’s not usually like that. But he probably…” 

Zeke chokes and covers his face. They understand to look away to give him some privacy.

Marcel gives Eren his doll back. Eren buries his face against his doll, clutching tightly as if to chase away what just happened. Bertolt promises himself that he will never let Eren out of his sight again. He’s not going to make his friend suffer through things like that alone ever again.

“Are you alright, darling?” Mrs. Braun asks. She gently runs her fingers through Eren’s hair.

Slowly, Eren lifts his face to face the rest of them. His green eyes glisten with unshed tears that he seems to be struggling to hold back. 

“W-when mom died, d-did she also think like that? Did she… cry out, too?”

Bertolt doesn’t know the circumstances of how Eren’s mom died. He doesn’t know enough to be able to come up with anything to comfort his friend.

All he can do is quietly watch as Mrs. Braun fusses over Eren.


	3. The Introduction of the Serial Killer That This Stupid Author Keeps Delaying for Whatever Reasons But at Least It’s Finally Here

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: We'll be talking about the damage the Serial Killer did to Carla. It's just mentioned but it's pretty gruesome.

Colt, as they expected, passes the basic first aid test without any issues. That means that they have the last day off for whatever they want to do.

Since Marcel is such a great older brother that takes good care of his little brothers (and Bertolt, now that he thinks about it), he made sure to tell everyone to bring lunch, because they’re going to go explore.

“Explore what?” Porco exclaimed when Marcel first brought it up.

“Between the cemetery and the market, there’s a small meadow. Might as well as have a picnic there, don’t you think?”

He personally thought that it was a great idea, because Eren’s eyes were bright at the suggestion. But Porco scowled like a spoiled brat that he is.

“That place? It’s so tiny. That’s not exploring at all!”

“It’s not like we can go outside. This is good enough, isn’t it?” Marcel said to console his brother.

“Why don’t we go outside?” Eren asked.

They all stared at him in disbelief.

“We have permits to go to the test. So no one will stop us if we go outside the internment zone.”

That’s a terrible idea, Marcel tried to say. It’s a horrible, terrible, no good, very bad idea. 

But the minute Eren’s excited eyes locked onto him, Marcel gave in without any protest. 

Just a little, he’s starting to think that it’s not just Porco who is spoiled in their group.

*

The excuse works so well that Marcel wants to curl up into a small ball and rock himself back and forth. Colt must have understood how he felt, because he squeezes Marcel’s shoulder. 

“Alright! Let’s explore!” Eren says.

“Shhh! Not so loudly!” Bertolt reminds him.

Marcel still isn’t too sure how to feel about Bertolt hanging out with them. But thus far, he hasn’t shown any sign that he’s here to find something bad about the Grice family to run to the Marleys for. Colt used to struggle with making friends because of those kinds of assholes. Marcel personally was going to stay away (associating with people like that would most definitely bring trouble later). But Porco had marched up to Colt at the time, and Marcel has been playing peace maker ever since.

If anything, he’s feeling a little relieved to see that Bertolt seems to care for Eren as much as they do. Whether this care is something he’s feigning until he sees them at their worst is something Marcel hasn’t decided upon just yet. 

But today’s excursion should clue him in a bit more about what Bertolt is planning.

“We should stay away from crowded areas,” Marcel reminds them. 

“Okay!”

*

They end up by the riverside, watching the airships while munching on their lunches. 

It’s not at all the exploration that Marcel thought that they would do, but even Porco seems fascinated by how something so large can take flight. So Marcel figures this is as good of a victory as he’s going to get.

The only thing to do is to keep watch to make sure they’re not approached suddenly by a Marleyan, especially not a Public Security Authorities member. Marcel has an excuse as to why they’re here. But it’s not going to be good if everyone gets caught off-guard and blurts out the truth before Marcel can smooth it over.

“Annnnnnnnd… it’s flying!” 

Then again, they’re kind of all distracted by another giant blimp taking off to really think about other things.

“If we’re Warriors, do we get to ride in those?” Eren asks breathlessly.

“Of course! How else will we get to places?” Porco points out.

“I think we get to ride in those even before we’re Warriors,” Colt says.

Marcel nods. “Probably. Even as Warrior Candidates, we get sent out on missions.”

Eren’s eyes are bright as he squeals. Bertolt’s eyes stay trained on Eren with a gentle smile on his face.

This guy, Marcel can’t help but to think, is most definitely not going to betray them. At the very least, as long as Eren is here, he’ll probably not do anything. Marcel isn’t sure if that’s something that should relax him or make him annoyed.

“What kind of missions do you think we’ll go on?” Colt asks.

Porco laughs. “Obviously to win wars!”

“No, no. That’s clearly for when we’re Warriors. We’ll most likely be sent on smaller missions like recon,” Marcel corrects.

“That sounds boring,” Porco groans.

“Information is important in order to make decisions. Porco, how many times do I have to tell you that?”

“But would information that we get be trusted?” Bertolt wonders. When he realizes that everyone’s looking at him, he blushes. “I-I mean… we’re Eldians. Would any Marleyan trust the information we bring them?”

They fall into a contemplative silence. Marcel can’t believe he was stumped so easily by Bertolt. This guy is surprisingly pretty smart. Any belief that he won't betray them is put into a small box and tossed out into the river. If this guy really is that smart, then he will most definitely find a way to betray them.

Eren points across the river. “They forgot someone.”

Marcel follows Eren’s gaze. From across the river, there’s a man desperately waving his arms in the air to try and get the blimp’s attention. They watch as the blimp flies off, leaving the man behind. The man takes off his hat and throws it at the ground.

Then and only then, does he notice them.

Someone that angry will doubtlessly try to take his anger out on them. 

“Shoot! Run!”

*

If Marcel thinks about it, the walls that separate the Eldians living inside the internment zone and the Marleyans outside is actually more like a double-edged sword. It forcibly traps the Eldians inside, but it also keeps the Marleyans from coming in.

Thanks to that, they’re able to escape from the angry Marleyan. 

But now they’re back inside the internment zone with no way to go back out.

“So much for exploring,” Porco grumbles.

“You’d rather deal with that Marleyan?” Marcel asks lightly.

His brother pouts. Marcel rolls his eyes at the childishness. For someone who wants so badly to be Eren’s role model, Porco always fall back to his childishness like this.

“If you guys still want to explore, I know somewhere we can go!” Eren suggests.

“Sure. Where do you want to go?” Colt asks.

With a bright grin, Eren declares, “Let’s go to the bar!”

“T-the…?” Marcel can’t bring himself to finish his question. That’s a lie, right? He didn’t just hear that? 

“It’s in the bad part of Liberio. But that’s part of the exploration, right? Oh, wait. Since it’s so early, they might not be open… Want to visit Mama Lou then? I think her place is the closest.”

“You mentioned that person before,” Bertolt recalls.

Eren tilts his head. “Did I? I don’t remember.”

“You mentioned that she had a rifle,” Marcel remembers. 

“She does! Want to go see it?”

The only reason Marcel agrees is because he’s curious about an Eldian who can keep a rifle within the internment zone.

*

The bad part of Liberio is really only called that because it’s where criminals gather. Those who cannot fit in with the rest of the Eldians naturally settled together, forming this area. Thieves and murderers, his dad once told him when he asked. People who have committed crimes that should not be forgiven.

And it is through this part of Liberio that Eren is currently leading them.

Today seems like one of those days where everything they do turns out bad, no matter what.

In the case of being outside, Marcel had some good excuses why they were there lined up. But if they’re to be caught by murderers and thieves, then what should he say? Would saying anything even do them any good? At that juncture, all he can do is pray that the others will be able to run fast enough away.

“Here!” Eren says, stopping in front of a rundown apartment. 

Eren sticks out like a sore thumb in this area. Actually, Marcel’s pretty sure that they all stick out. But maybe he feels that Eren sticks out especially more so because of the bright and happy smile on his face, while the rest of them look uneasy. Holding tightly to his kitty doll, Eren walks up to someone who looks like he might be weeding.

“Scott! It’s Eren!”

This “Scott” fellow turns to face Eren, revealing a horribly scarred up face. His left eye is white, possibly damaged from when he got that scar that runs from his forehead, through his eye, and down to his jaw. That’s the biggest and most notable scar, but it’s not the only one on his face. Marcel can’t help but to flinch at the sight. 

Almost as if feeling Marcel’s (and the others’) gaze, Scott glances towards them. He puts a hand up to cover his face and looks away from them so they aren't staring at him anymore. 

Marcel feels ashamed for making this man self-conscious.

Eren glances at Scott curiously. Then he must have realized something because he nudges Scott’s arm. When Scott glances at him, Eren grins.

“Up! Up!”

After a second’s hesitation, Scott stands up to his full height. This man is impossibly tall. Marcel feels that he wouldn’t be able to fit through most doorway at his height. 

Scott picks Eren up and holds him high in the air. Eren’s delighted giggle is most definitely making the others want a turn. At the very least, Porco is inching closer with an expectant look in his eyes. 

And Marcel’s always thought that he was quick on his feet, but this is a different level, isn’t it? He doesn’t think he would’ve thought to ask to be played with if he was in Eren’s shoes. He would have dodged troublesome things like that all together by not bringing them here in the first place. 

He wonders if maybe that makes him cold.

Or perhaps it's more honest to say that Eren is too warm? Smart enough to come up with a plan like this, but too warm to understand the consequences of actions like these.

“I-I want a turn!” Porco demands.

Scott seems to have frozen in place at Porco’s demand. The grown adult tries to cover his face with Eren, who giggles.

“C’mon, Scott. Give them a chance. They’re not scary,” Eren tells the grown adult.

Is Marcel the only one who thinks that this is weird? 

Because Colt and Bertolt are both by Porco’s side, shyly asking for turns as well. Marcel doesn’t really get how their minds work.

Slowly, Scott puts Eren down and picks Porco up. 

“Whoa! It’s so high up here!”

… It’ll be fine for Marcel to ask for a turn, right?

*

“I was wondering who was making so much noise. It was our little Eren!” drawls a hoarse voice that sounds like the owner should drink some honeyed water.

The owner of that voice steps out of the apartment complex and pauses at the sight of Scott and the rest of the Warrior Candidates. The owner is a man who is most definitely enjoying his day off. He’s wearing baggy clothes that hangs off of him awkwardly. If Marcel’s mom was to see him, she’d make a side-comment about wanting to feed that poor man. The man’s hair is super long, falling past his shoulders. There are stubble on his chin, though. That makes it pretty clear that he’s a man.

He takes the cigarette from his mouth and stomps it out. Once that’s done, he takes a step towards them.

“Mama Lou!” Eren greets. “You smell like smoke!”

… This is Mama Lou?

Marcel watches in disbelief as the person pulls out a fan from inside of their sleeve and aggressively fans themself. Then Mama Lou turns back to Eren.

“Do I still smell?”

Eren nods.

Mama Lou lets out a loud curse and takes a step away. “You’re not allowed to come near me. Can’t give my Darling Carla’s little boy lung cancer. So what are you doing here? And what’s with the munchkins?”

Munch…?

No, wait. Go back to the Mama Lou part.

Scott, seeing what’s going on, puts Marcel back down to the ground and turns down Porco’s insistence for another turn. Marcel makes sure to move to stand next to Eren, just in case something unpredictable happens again. He doesn’t miss that Bertolt does the same.

Annoying.

“Mama Lou, these are my brothers, Colt, Porco, and Marcel. And this is my friend, Bertolt.”

Even more annoying. There’s no need to introduce them like that, is there? Marcel isn’t even sure why he feels so frustrated by it.

“Everyone, this is Mama Lou. Don’t mention her stubble to her. It’ll make her sad.”

… “Her?” 

Mama Lou touches her chin and lets out another curse. She opens her fan and positions it in front of her face so that only the top half of her face can be seen.

“Eren, my sweetest child, you really need to learn how to talk to woman.”

“Can we see your rifle?” Eren asks, seemingly unbothered by that comment.

It feels like that’s their usual interaction, because Mama Lou hums and flutters her fan, pretending to think. Eren puts his hands (and his kitty doll’s) hands together and give the biggest puppy dog eyes he can. Seeing that, the rest of them join in.

“Pleeeease?” they ask.

Mama Lou laughs delightedly. “You’re all too cute! Hahaha! But unfortunately, I lent it out to Tilo. So that’s no good.”

“To Tilo?” Eren asks with a frown. “But he doesn’t like guns.”

Oh. Just now. Mama Lou and Scott exchanged a look.

They’re going to lie to Eren.

“Did you hear about Rosa?” Mama Lou asks.

Eren nods. “She disappeared, right? Cici said something about a foreign prince and a business man.”

“We found her. She’s…” 

Here it comes. 

The lie that adults tell children to “protect” them.

“She’s dead.”

… Huh?

“When Tilo heard, he asked for my rifle. Rein is watching him right now, so you don’t have to worry. They're probably trying to track down that foreign prince and business man.” Mama Lou smiles ruefully. “It’s terrible, really. To have two of our barmaids down…”

This is usually what people keep away from children, right? 

So why is Mama Lou just blurting it all out to them? Is it because Eren? Or does it have to do with the fact that they’re all Warrior Candidates? Or does it have to do with the fact that they're in the bad part of Liberio? 

Marcel can’t make heads or tails of it. 

“How was she killed? Miss Rosa, I mean. Was her body-”

Scott moves to stop Eren. He shakes his head firmly, signaling the end of this talk.

Eren doesn’t bring it up after that, and Mama Lou changes the topic to ask about them and if they would like some sweets. Marcel, though, doesn’t miss the look in Eren’s eyes that look like he’s discovered a secret.

*

There are three things that Marcel has come to learn about Eren in the three months they’ve known each other.

The first is that the circumstances behind how Eren was raised is different from his own. Not so different that every little thing they do is something brand new for Eren. But different enough for Marcel to note. Things like how Eren knew people who owns rifles. Things like how Eren handles his kitty doll. Things like how Eren instinctively move to help people without regards to consequences.

The second is that Eren is much sharper than he lets others think. He picks up things like movement almost immediately after seeing it once. Marcel is pretty sure it’s not as perfect as the original, but Eren gets the movement down enough for Marcel to feel the sting. 

The third is that Eren treasures them greatly. The kitty doll that Colt first gave him is still Eren’s favorite thing in the world, no matter what Marcel and Porco offer him. When Porco gets upset, Eren sometimes challenge him to a fight, just to let Porco work it out. When Marcel’s feeling down, Eren stands next to him, their shoulders just barely touching. 

Knowing all these things is not enough for Marcel to predict what might come out of Eren’s mouth when they’re heading out of the bad side of Liberio.

“Miss Rosa probably died the same way mom did.”

They all turn to stare at him stunned. What the hell are you even supposed to say to that?

“W-what do you mean?” Bertolt asks, surprising Marcel.

Eren shrugs. “They didn’t mind telling me anything until I asked about how Miss Rosa died. They wanted to hide how she died from me.”

“Maybe they wanted to protect you?” Colt suggests.

“Then they wouldn’t have answered me at all.”

Marcel’s of the same opinion. But what he doesn’t know is…

“How did your mom die, Eren?”

“According to Dr. Braun, she was hit on the head once to knock her over. Then she was stabbed three times. Once in the left breast, once in the stomach, and the last time in the groin. He guessed that she didn’t die right away from that. She probably bled out there while the murderer watched.”

… Dr. Braun told this to Eren…? It’s not that Marcel doubts Eren’s words. It just seems odd that the doctor would say something like that to a kid.

“Wait, he said that to you?” Porco asks, looking as incredulous as Marcel feels.

Eren shakes his head. “I overheard him talking to Elias.”

What a thing to overhear. Marcel feels sick at just the thought.

“Then Elias mentioned that Maria died like that, too. Three months before mom died.”

“… Maria?” Colt asks.

“She didn’t work at the bar, so I didn’t know her. But then it becomes a pattern. Every three months, a woman dies, stabbed three times like that.”

A patterned murder like that has a special kind of name. Marcel remembers reading this in a book. When he excitedly showed it to his mom, she got mad that he was reading something so graphic and took it away from him. But he recalled what someone who kills multiple people are called.

“There’s a serial killer in Liberio?” he wonders.

“Serial killer!” Eren says, snapping his fingers. “That’s what they’re called!”

“We should report this to the Public Security Authorities,” Colt says seriously.

Marcel agrees. This is way over their heads. There’s absolutely nothing they can do about it. They should just keep their heads down and let the adults handle it. 

“They won’t look into it. They’ll just say that it’s a good thing Eldians are killing each other,” Porco points out.

Eren nods. “And they’ll also say that these women are those who deserved to have died. That’s what the people at my mom’s funeral said.”

Marcel knows what this is leading up to. He knows exactly what Eren wants from them. And that’s exactly why he cannot allow for that to happen. 

He shakes his head. “No. We just became Warrior Candidates. All of our hard work would have been for nothing if we end up dead while chasing after this serial killer. Or worse, the Marleys will become suspicious of us and our family.”

It’s harsher than he meant it to come out. So he tries to lighten the mood by smiling.

“Come on. Don’t you think we should be focusing on becoming Warriors instead?”

“But how can we be considered Warrior Candidates if we can’t do something as simple as catching a serial killer?” Eren points out. 

Simple, Eren says. Like there’s anything simple about catching someone who goes around killing every three months. 

“Makes sense,” Colt says. 

Bertolt and Porco nod in agreement. And what the hell? Why are they all teaming up against Marcel for? They should all understand the logic and reason why they shouldn’t do this. 

Marcel’s smile falls. Are these guys stupid? Can’t they tell that he’s trying to save all of them and their families? 

“N-no!” Then a little more firmly, he manages out, “No. We’re not doing that!” 

“Okay,” Eren says, nodding. “You guys heard Marcel. We’re killing the serial killer instead.” 

No! No, no, no! That isn’t what Marcel said at all!

As if he can read Marcel’s mind, Eren turns to him with a sad puppy look. He holds his kitty doll close to himself, looking like he might burst into tears at any given second. 

“If you won’t help us, then we have to get rid of you, too.”

Please, Marcel begs in his head. Don’t say something so terrifying while innocently holding your kitty doll!

“I don’t get why you’re so against it. Whether you help out or not, more people will end up dead for as long as this serial killer is out and about. Why shouldn’t we do something about it? It’s not like the Marleys will look into it anyways. This is a purely ‘Eldian’ problem, isn’t it?”

And Marcel knows that he’s fallen quite low when Porco’s words are starting to make sense.

“Didn’t you say that ‘Tilo’ guy is looking into it, Eren? We should just leave it to him,” Marcel manages out.

Realization flashes in Eren’s eyes, and Marcel thinks that’s it.  Eren has finally seen the truth. The truth that Marcel struggled so hard to hide from Porco and Colt. Eren figured it out with just that, didn’t he? Slowly but surely, Marcel can't help but to feel frightened by this young boy with too green of eyes.

"Tilo can't investigate outside of the bad side of Liberio. But as Warrior Candidates, we have-"

Marcel covers his ears. “I don’t want to hear it! This is a bad idea. Colt, you of all people should know why!”

That was probably too far.

He sees the hurt on Colt’s face. He sees the confusion on Bertolt’s. Disbelief on Porco’s and…

Disappointment in Eren’s.

Marcel doesn’t want to stay here.

He runs.

*

His thoughts keep running around in circles.

Logically speaking, it makes perfect sense to give up on this “serial killer” case. There’s absolutely nothing in it for them. In fact, there’s more harm than good. Bunch of children taking on a case to find a serial killer? It’s laughable, no matter how you look at it!

But Eren believes that they could do it. Eren turned to them and asked them. Instead of asking the people with the rifles, he asked them.

If things go wrong and they’re killed? Their families will be the only ones that suffer. And let’s say that they actually do it right and arrest the serial killer. Then what? All the attention and focus will be on them before they receive the honorary Marleyan status from becoming a Warrior. That means, there will be targets on their backs before they get any kind of protection for their family. That’s a recipe for disaster. 

How hard can it be anyways? To track down a serial killer? They’ve already started to put the clues together. The killer strikes every three months. The victim is always female with little to no ties with Marleys to warrant an investigation. There’s a hit to the head to stun the victim and then three stab wounds. Already, that’s a lot of information for them to go off of.

They’re not heroes. They’re just kids. At best, they’ve recently became Warrior Candidates. But that right now isn’t enough to provide good enough protection. Without any help from adults or from the Marley, can bunch of kids really track down and stop a serial killer? There’s no way. It’s impossible.

But Eren thinks that they can do it.

Marcel’s pace slows. 

No, no, no. He can’t let his emotion sway his decision. He has to stay firm. And if he’s firm, he’ll be able to get Colt and Porco on his side. With that, Eren will see his way. Eren will-

But Eren’s green eyes were disappointed in him.

Stop. Stop. Stop. 

Thinking like that isn’t going to help anyone. That’s not going to stop anything. He has to focus. He has to-

Would it really be bad?  To be heroes together.

A foot rudely interrupts Marcel’s train of thought by kicking him from the back. Even without checking, Marcel knows that Porco has caught up with him.

Damn. He shouldn’t have slowed down.

Porco knocks Marcel down and stands with his foot pinning Marcel’s back. Then he dares to grin.

“Hey Marcel, did you get slower?”

“Get off.”

Porco shakes his head. “If I do, you’ll run again. Let’s just talk like this. It’s not often I get to literally beat you down. Hehe. I suppose this is just proof that I’ve gotten that much stronger.”

There are rude words at the tip of Marcel’s throat, but he manages to hold them back. Now is not the time to antagonize his brother. Besides, doing that will make Porco realize just how badly this whole thing has shaken him. And he’s supposed to be unshakable and cool older brother.

“If you’re here to make me change my mind…”

“Nah. I get where you’re coming from. It wasn’t cool that you used Colt as an excuse, though, and I am mad about that. But you’re not wrong.”

Of course, Marcel isn’t wrong. He spoke purely from a logical stand point. If that fell apart, then his entire platform would be wrong.

“It’s just… I don’t think Eren’s wrong either.”

That’s stupid. If Marcel is wrong, Eren is right. If Eren is wrong, Marcel is right. That’s where they are currently in this argument. By saying that they’re both right, Porco is just taking the easy way out by not taking sides. That’s worse than if he had chosen a side.

“If I asked you to pick a side, would you?”

Porco snorts. “Of course, I’ll side with Eren. He’s our baby brother, isn’t he? And as his big brothers, we should make sure he stays out of trouble. That’s… that’s what you’ve always done for me.”

That’s not fair. That’s so not fair. How is Marcel supposed to come up with a logical argument when Porco strikes at his heart?

Slowly, Porco takes his foot off of Marcel’s back. It’s not like Porco at all to release Marcel already. So that must mean…

Marcel sits up and isn’t shocked to see Colt making his way over to them. As soon as he’s nearby, Colt doubles over, gasping for breath. Marcel gives him a few seconds to catch himself.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that back there,” Marcel says.

“N-no. I… I know why you said it. It was hurtful, but I know you. That’s why…” Colt’s eyes shine with determination as he glares Marcel down. “Until you agree to help Eren, I won’t let you leave.”

Every single one of them are out to get him. Marcel feels resentful.

“I don’t get a choice in this?”

“Of course not. You’re our big brother, after all,” Porco sniggers.

“Marcel, you’ve always been the one who made sure that we all got out of things without getting into trouble with the Marleys or with our parents. So I get why you’re against this. But… Eren asked this of us.”

He’s not a petty person. At least, not usually because he can’t afford to lose his cool and collected image. But the more these two stand against him, the more he wants to lash out in the most childish way possible. 

“So you want to help him get revenge. Is that it? You want to let your cute little brother do something as terrible as kill someone?”

That’s horrible. He can’t believe himself. Why does he keep saying these things that he knows will hurt them?

Colt kneels in front of Marcel. “That’s why I need you there. All I can do is give first aid. Porco can physically protect Eren. And I guess Bertolt can throw things from far away. But you? You can protect his heart. Marcel, help me protect my little brother. If you’re there, we can do anything.”

How horribly unfair. 

Marcel covers his eyes to prevent any tears from falling.

“That’s not fair,” he mumbles.

Porco lightly kicks Marcel’s back. “That’s because big brothers are supposed to lose to his younger ones. C’mon, let’s get back. I don’t trust that Bertolt guy alone with Eren.”

When Marcel uncovers his eyes, he sees Colt is holding his hand out for him to take. With a sheepish smile like Colt is shy about the whole thing, he waits for Marcel.

It wouldn’t be so bad. He already has a few ideas on how to go about it, too. And Porco’s right. If Marcel isn’t there, these guys will get caught in every single trouble imaginable.

“Thanks,” he says as he takes Colt’s hand.

*

Eren, it seems, started to cry when Marcel ran off. He’s slowly making his way towards them, wiping his eyes as he tries not to wail too loudly. He holds his kitty doll’s hand in one hand, dragging its legs on the ground. With the other hand, he desperately tries to wipe his eyes. Bertolt kindly helps him navigate so that he doesn’t run into anyone or anything. 

When Eren realizes that Porco and Colt have brought Marcel back, he stops for just a second. Then with an even louder wail, he bolts for Marcel. He throws himself in Marcel’s arms, crying so loudly that Marcel’s ears ring.

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! Don’t go! Don’t leave me, Marcel!”

Why is it that Marcel’s own eyes are tearing up? 

It’s just Eren.

But this is definitely the first time Marcel has ever seen Eren cry like this. Just a little, he wonders if Eren was this inconsolable during his mom’s funeral. 

“No, I’m sorry, Eren. I was mean with my words.”

“You were! You’re mean!” 

Marcel feels Eren’s small hands clutch tightly to his shirt. And belatedly, he realizes that Eren has dropped his important kitty doll. That alone tells him enough.

Eren has figured out the secret about Marcel that he has worked so hard to hide. But despite that, he's gripping tightly to Marcel.

“But Marcel,” Eren chokes out between his sobs, “I want to do it with you!”

Honestly, this is why little brothers are such pain.

He wraps his arms around Eren and holds him tightly.

“Okay. You win. Let’s catch that serial killer together.”

*

The five of them sit together in the park to discuss their next plan.

“We need a hide out,” Porco declares.

“Yeah. It won’t be safe to discuss you-know-what in the open like this,” Marcel agrees.

The others nod seriously.

“But where could we go?” Colt wonders.

Eren tilts his head to the side. “Our rooms wouldn’t work?”

“You never know when you’ll be overheard. So it’ll be best if we could find some place to call our own,” Marcel mumbles.

“There’s an abandoned cafe in the bad side of Liberio,” Eren suggests. “But it’s kind of deep inside. That’s no good, right?”

Bertolt nods. “S-sorry. That’s a bit…”

“It’s fine. We’ll find somewhere else,” Eren tells him with a smile.

Marcel agrees with Bertolt. Not for the same reasons, though. It’s just that they won’t know what would be waiting for them inside of the bad side of Liberio to be able to have their hideout there. They can’t guarantee the safety of such a place.

If they were allowed to leave the internment zone, they might be able to look for more places. But that’s not a privilege that even as Warriors they’d be allowed. And the Warrior Headquarters is even less of a place to trust…

“I… know a place we might be able to use, but I have to talk to my uncle about it first,” Bertolt says hesitantly.

“If it’s your family’s place, I don’t trust it,” Porco says, shutting that down immediately.

Bertolt deflates. “R-right. Haha…”

“Eh? Hold on. Why shouldn’t we at least try-”

Marcel shakes his head, stopping Eren. “Because it’ll be the same situation as our own rooms. It won’t be our own space.”

Eren seems to accept that at least. He sullenly holds tightly to his doll.

“So the only thing we can do is explore and look for a place to call our own,” Colt concludes.

Marcel nods. “Essentially, yeah. But the problem is that most of available places have all been claimed somehow. There’s really no good secret place for us.”

The five of them sigh in defeat.

“This sucks! We can’t do anything!” Porco groans. 

“Then until we figure that out, we can’t do anything?” Colt asks, giving Marcel a warning look.

Jeesh, does Colt think that Marcel is going to take back his words now? How hurtful. 

“Until then, we’ll have to talk in code for everything. Can you guys keep up with that?” Marcel asks them.

“Of course!”

… Even though they all look so determined, Marcel can’t help but to feel doubtful.

“Then let’s call this the SK Case. And if anyone asks, this is a special mission for us Warrior Candidates. That should be easy enough, right?”

They all nod in agreement, but Marcel still feel nervous.

“Remember, don’t mention anything about it. If anyone asks and you don’t know what to say, just be quiet. Can you guys do that?”

“Marcel, we get it,” Porco says. 

Colt nods. “You can trust us!”

“We won’t disappoint you,” Eren promises.

Why is it that Marcel still can’t muster up confidence?

*

Bertolt stops Marcel and Porco when they all say goodbye to go home for the day. 

“What?” Porco growls. “I’m hungry. I want to go eat dinner.”

There’s just a second of hesitation before Bertolt takes a deep breath.

“I want to be your friend. Both of you.”

Marcel doesn’t know how to respond to that. But Bertolt is staring at the two of them determinedly. Almost like he’s not going to let them go home until they answer him.

“W-we hang out a lot as it is. So we might as well be friends. A-and… I like being friends with Eren. So I want to get along with his brothers.”

“You can get along with us without being friends,” Marcel points out.

Porco elbows him with an annoyed scowl. “Ignore Marcel. He’s being dumb. If you want to be friends, sure. That’s fine with me.”

From the way both Bertolt and Porco are staring at Marcel, he knows that he’s going to get an earful if he doesn’t agree. 

“I don’t like it,” Marcel sighs. “No, I don’t like you.”

“E-eh?!”

Marcel crosses his arms in front of himself. “Because you’re the only one Eren held his hand out to. The rest of us are his ‘brothers,’ but what the hell are you?”

“I’m his friend,” Bertolt tells him without any hesitation.

Yeah, Marcel doesn’t like it at all. He can’t figure out why, though. He doesn’t remember feeling like this about Colt or Porco. So why is it just Eren? 

Isn't it because out of the four of them, Eren’s the most likely to leave? So if Eren were to make friends and find other people that he likes, he would most definitely leave them behind. Because it’s not like their thoughts exactly line up.

But that’s not true, either.

He’s felt it.

When Eren clutched tightly to Marcel’s shirt as he cried, he became sure of it then. 

Eren won’t leave them.

So Marcel should let this go, too.

“But I don’t want my pettiness to be the reason why we fail. We are going to solve the SK Case. For that, your sharp-shooting will be helpful to have.”

Porco scoffs, knowing exactly what Marcel is doing. Damn him. Since when did he get this sharp about Marcel, anyways? Just a little, it feels like their roles have switched. Heh. Who would have thought? Porco's rather cool as an 'older' brother, isn't he?

Marcel holds his hand out, feeling self-conscious.

“I’m not saying we’re friends. But I want you on my side. Will you help us?”

Bertolt’s eyes light up.

Damn. Looks like he’s a lot sharper than Marcel gave him credit for. 

With a bright grin, Bertolt takes Marcel’s hand.

“I will! Thank you for having me!”

*

Porco sniggers as they walk back home. “Marcel, you’re actually quite a dork, aren’t you?”

“Shut up. I’m your cool brother.”

“I’m glad Colt brought Eren. It’s funny seeing you mess up.”

When Marcel turns to yell, Porco laughs wildly and bolts. Marcel gives him just a few seconds of a head start before taking off himself. After all, this little of a distance is easy enough for Marcel to catch up and overtake. And it'll be more of a lesson the larger the distance between them are before Marcel runs.

He wonders if it’s okay for him to feel this excited to face against this serial killer.

Because he’s starting to look forward to it.


	4. Recon with Children who May Be Smart for Their Ages but Haven’t Quite Mastered the Art Yet for Reasons that Could Cause a Huge Misunderstanding for This Stupid Author So We’re Just Not Going to Talk About It

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We have an end chapter number!

“Three months,” Marcel says holding up three fingers. “That’s our time limit.”

“H-huh?! Three months? You want us to do everything in that time period?” Colt exclaims. His eyes nervously dart around to make sure that they haven’t been overheard.

For someone who has been against the whole thing, Marcel sure is gung-ho about it now. Porco rolls his eyes. His big brother is such a dork.

“Yeah. Three months is perfect,” Eren says, nodding. “It gives us time to get information and make plans. On top of that, we should definitely make a move before the… the…”

“The festival,” Porco covers.

Eren gives him a grateful smile. “We can definitely make it in that time period.”

Porco nods proudly for having come up with a code to help disguise what they’re doing. See? He’s not just all talk. He is just as much as part of this as Marcel.

“The very first thing we need to do,” Marcel says, getting their attention again, “is to get information. But if we just go around and ask people questions, they’re going to realize that we’re up to something. So we need to come up with a smarter way of getting it.”

That makes sense. As always, Marcel thinks of all possible options. Porco feels pretty glad that Marcel’s on their side of things. And that it was so easy to convince Marcel to stay on their side. 

“So I think we should split up. Colt and I will go to the general hospital and see if we can get our hands on any information about the vic… about the vaccine. The three of you guys go to the library and browse through the newspapers. Check every three months to see if anything about this got reported.”

… Huh?

“Wait a minute, why do we have to do paper-pushing work when you two go and do the actual action-ie thing? Marcel, take me. I’m faster than Colt,” Porco protests.

Marcel shakes his head no. “But Colt has first aid knowledge. If we’re sneaking into the hospital, that’s going to be the biggest help.”

No. Porco doesn’t like this. It’s clear that Marcel is only being stubborn because he wants to keep Eren and Porco out of line of danger and because he doesn’t trust Bertolt. But they’re all Warrior Candidates together. Marcel trying to force them into safety like this burns.

Porco opens his mouth to protest, but Eren grab his arm with a shake of his head. Does he think that Porco can’t win against Marcel? Is that why he’s stopping him? 

Frustration bubbles in his chest. Does he look that helpless, even to Eren?

“If that’s what Marcel thinks, then I think that’s for the best,” Eren tells Porco seriously.

He hates this.

But Eren is looking at him with eyes that seem to promise that he has a plan. Porco doesn’t know exactly what Eren thinks he can do when Marcel is their enemy. But it’s not like he has anything but throwing a tantrum on his mind. So he forces himself to relax.

“Fine,” he grits out.

Eren’s smile makes the bitterness sting a little less.

*

They wave goodbye to Marcel and Colt. Eren waits until the three of them have started walking towards the library before he starts sharing his plan.

“I want to check Dr. Braun’s clinic. When my mom died, they didn’t take her to the hospital. Dr. Braun looked her over.”

Porco vaguely recalls Eren mentioning something like that. So that’s why Eren was fine with letting Marcel go. But isn’t it better for them to have Marcel look into the clinic? He’s smartest of them, so he wouldn’t miss anything they might.

“If there’s something there, then we’ll bring it up. But otherwise, we should pretend to have been in the library. Which is why… Bertolt, can you please go to the library?”

Bertolt, who has been quiet the entire time, flinches at suddenly being addressed. He shakes his head no.

“I’m going to stay with you.”

“I need you to be my alibi. If Marcel and Colt return early to the library, you need to be there to tell them that we went to the clinic to see the toy doctor.”

“The toy doctor?” Porco asks.

Eren nods. “Dr. Zeke. He helped before, so we can use that. I’ll keep Dr. Braun, Dr. Zeke, and Mrs. Braun distracted as much as I can. Porco, you go find information. There should be a notebook or files that he keeps about his patients. If all three of us play our parts, no one will realize what we’re doing.”

Heh. What the hell? They’ve always talked about how great Marcel is at planning, but isn’t Eren pretty good himself? Porco better keep a careful eye on him. If Eren is smart enough to plan something behind Marcel’s back, there’s no telling what he’ll plan behind Porco’s.

“Is it really good idea to do this behind Marcel’s back?” Bertolt asks, voicing what should have been Porco’s first concern.

“The last person I want as an enemy is Marcel. But I don’t want to stand around and do nothing.”

Porco agrees. And now that they have a set plan, he wants to just rush forward without wasting anymore time.

“Bertolt, are you with us or do I need to teach you a lesson?” Porco growls.

For a gleeful second, Porco thinks that he’s going to be able to punch this guy into submission. But then Bertolt seems to decide that he doesn’t need a beating. He turns to Eren with a sincere look that makes Porco roll his eyes.

“I’ll go to the library. If there’s any sign of danger, run away. Don’t get hurt.”

Eren smiles. “We won’t get hurt. We’re going to a clinic!”

With that settled, Porco and Eren make their way to the Braun Clinic after saying goodbye to Bertolt.

*

Eren hugs his doll tightly and whispers, “Sorry. Please bear it.”

Then he tugs sharply at the seam holding the right leg to the body until a satisfying rip is heard. With a worried grimace, he holds the doll gently in his arms. 

Porco thinks it’s cute how Eren cares so deeply for that doll. Colt mentioned in passing once that it’s his favorite doll that his grandma made for him before she passed away. So Porco never imagined that Colt would give it to anyone. But he supposes that’s just how much Colt wanted to be a big brother. And with how sweetly Eren treats that doll, Porco is confident that Colt doesn’t regret that decision.

“Ready?” he asks Eren.

He receives a determined nod as an answer. 

The two enters the clinic.

*

Mrs. Braun greets them worriedly when she sees them. “Were you hurt? Let me see!”

Eren makes a show of hesitating before he holds up his kitty doll. With just a bit of teary eyes, he makes himself look like a frightened child. Porco himself is rather terrified at how easily Eren plays them. At the sight of those tears, he feels himself tensing to fight whoever dared to make his little brother cry. 

“M-my Kitty…” Eren stutters out. “I-is Dr. Zeke here?”

There’s a small pause before Mrs. Braun realizes what Eren means. Her eyes light up, and she covers her mouth with a soft little, “Oh!”

“I told you not to bother them with something like this!” Porco complains. It’s to make sure to give him a reason to leave Eren alone later to look through the files. So although he doesn’t actually feel like this, he plays along.

Eren pulls his doll close to himself, lowering his gaze to the ground. Mrs. Braun rushes over to them to gently put her hands on their shoulders. 

Good. She bought it.

“It’s alright. Why don’t we all go see Dr. Zeke? He’s currently with Hartwin. Do you remember him? He’s doing much better.”

“Hartwin…?” Porco recalls the man in the alleyway they found. “Oh, that guy. He’s been staying here? I thought he was going to go home?”

“He felt more comfortable here,” she says hesitantly. 

Porco knows a lie when he hears it, though. There must have been some kind of an issue with Hartwin’s family that prevented him from going home. Is it because of the whole “contagious” thing? But he thought that was a lie Hartwin said so they wouldn’t pity him and try to help him. Then there’s something else to this, isn’t there? Oh well. It's not really his problem.

Mrs. Braun leads the two of them to one of the private rooms upstairs. But Zeke isn’t in here. It’s just Hartwin, whose scowl on his face disappears at the sight of them. An uncertain grimace appears on his face as he rubs the back of his neck.

“Is Zeke not with you?” Mrs. Braun asks.

“He… er… left,” Hartwin manages out.

Porco takes that to mean Hartwin chased Zeke away.

“I’ll go get him. You boys keep Hartwin company,” Mrs. Braun tells them.

Hartwin looks thankfully at her as she leaves. Once she’s gone, he takes a deep breath and turns to Eren.

“S-sorry about last time. I said a lot of things I shouldn’t have. It was childish of me, and I really should have known better.”

Eren stares at him for a second longer before holding his kitty doll up so that its acrylic eyes stare at Hartwin. “It’s not me you need to apologize to.”

Porco hides his snigger behind his hand, but he can feel Hartwin’s glare shot in his direction anyhow. 

“S-sorry,” Hartwin stutters to the doll.

Eren shakes his head. “Not sincere enough.”

It looks like the teen might lose his temper, so Porco steps in to change the topic.

“We heard that you’re feeling better. Does that mean you’re not going to die?”

At the very least, Hartwin looks grateful for the change. “Nah. Nothing like that. This is what you call ‘the last push.’ You know how a candle shines super bright before the wick runs out? It’s that. Before I die, I look like I got super better.”

Porco has never heard of anything like that before. But he can’t imagine why Hartwin would lie about that. 

“But man, being here is great. I get to eat real fruits instead of those stupid supplements. Even if fruits are expensive, just how bad can it be to let us eat one a day? It's the hospital, for pity's sake!”

“Supplements?” Porco asks.

Hartwin nods. He opens his mouth to answer but before he can speak, the door slams open.

“Dr. Wolf! P-please calm yourself!”

Those words are followed by a frantic looking middle-aged man rushing into the private room where the three of them are in. The man’s eyes land on Hartwin with something akin to shock and… relief? It’s probably relief, right? That long white jacket denotes him as a doctor, so he’s relieved to see a patient doing well?

Porco grabs Eren and pulls the two of them to the corner of the room. If they need to run, he needs to prioritize keeping Eren safe.

“Hartwin!” the man chokes out. He stops and clears his throat, looking embarrassed. “I came as soon as I heard that you’re doing better.”

“I’m not, Dr. Wolf. I’m still dying. Just at a slower rate than before,” Hartwin answers with a shrug.

While these two talk, Dr. Braun walks in, looking just a bit out of breath. Few steps behind are Mrs. Braun and Zeke. When they see Porco and Eren, they make a small motion to ask them to step out of the room. So the two of them do.

“Who’s Dr. Wolf?” Eren asks once they’ve given Dr. Wolf and Hartwin some space.

“He’s the doctor at the general hospital. He’s typically in charge of us Warrior Candidates. So I’m sure you guys will get to know him well,” Zeke explains with a small smile. “Now, I heard that someone was looking for the toy doctor?”

Eren brightens and nods. “Me! Dr. Zeke, please help Kitty!”

Zeke laughs and holds up his sewing kit that he must have brought. Seeing that the three Brauns are distracted with Eren’s bright-eyed questions, Porco takes this as his chance.

His eyes meet Eren’s for just a second before he grins confidently.

He got this.

*

Obviously, he makes a beeline for Dr. Braun’s office. The documents on the desk are things pertaining to Hartwin’s condition, which Porco really could care less about. Since that’s not useful, he opens one of the drawers of the desk. The documents in this one seem mainly about medicine and business expenses. The other drawer is filled with just various office supplies.

Nothing about the patients.

If he thinks about it, this place is a clinic and not the general hospital. Isn’t it possible that they don’t keep information about the patients? But would they really do that? Having information about the patient is important for future visits, isn’t it? Then maybe what he needs to do is…

His eyes catch sight of a file cabinet. 

Well, duh. Why didn’t he think of this earlier?

He moves to open the middle cabinet that’s easy for him to reach, only to realize that it’s locked. Locked? These things can be locked? 

Shoot.

He doesn’t know how long Eren can distract everyone for. So he needs to figure this out fast. There isn’t a key carelessly tossed on top of the desk. Then maybe there’s something in the drawer with the office supplies? 

It can’t hurt to check, so he opens it again. 

No sign of a key. Knowing the doctor, he probably carries it on himself and…

Porco pauses when he realizes that he stepped on something. When he glances down, he thanks the lucky stars.

Because look, a key.

Is this the key to the cabinet? Did Dr. Braun drop this here on accident? He doesn’t know the answer to either questions, but he figures he might as well as take advantage of this for now.

He picks it up and tries the lock on the middle file cabinet closest to him. It opens without problem.

With a bright grin, he begins to flip through the documents inside. There’s quite a lot of patients’ names, but none of them stick out to him as important. Until he spots it.

“Carla Jaeger.”

That’s Eren’s mom’s name, isn’t it?

Lucky.

He takes out the surprisingly small file and flips through it. The information detailed inside is the same as the one that Eren told them. There’s nothing new or interesting. It’s just a detail of her condition and a guess as to how she died. In other words, it’s completely useless.

So much for being lucky. Then again, he supposes it’ll be too easy if he found everything like that.

He puts the file back where he found it and closes the drawer. Then he goes for the bottom most drawer in hopes that it might have information on the recent disappearance of Miss Rosa. 

Unfortunately, it seems that the information in the bottom most drawer are those from a long time ago. He does find someone named “Maria Meyer,” so he looks through that one. It’s just as short as Eren’s mom’s file. Just a short description that sounds very similar to how Eren’s mom died. 

Nothing stands out.

Feeling frustrated, he puts the file back and turns his attention to the top most drawer. That one is taller than him, so he’s going to have to bring the chair over. He’s slowly moving the office chair towards the file cabinet when he overhears talking just outside of the office.

Shoot.

Looks like Eren’s charm wasn’t enough to keep them there for longer. It sucks, but Porco better find a way out. He moves next to the door and listens for a chance to slip out. Of course, he drops the key on the ground, just in case.

“-supplementary pills. I know you’re not a fan, but it’s the only way to make sure the kids get the nutrients they need while on missions. I… wish it wasn’t like this either. But as you know, taking care of these children’s health is my duty,” Dr. Wolf is saying.

“Yes, of course. I have no plans on opposing you. But when they’re home, isn’t it fine to not take any?”

Porco realizes his mistake just a second before the impending doom. He manages to hide by tucking himself in the small space between the door and the wall when it opens.

“Unfortunately, not all parents are as mindful as you are, Dr. Braun. So if anyone asks, if you could please explain to them the importance?”

“Of course,” Dr. Braun says.

The two doctors come inside of the office. Porco wants to cry. If he had been just a few seconds late, he would’ve gotten caught. But this isn’t exactly any better. If only he could somehow-

Something crashes, followed by a loud frightened yell and a scream.

Both doctors rush out.

Porco gives it a few seconds before he sneaks out, too. He needs to make it look like he ran to the source of the sound from somewhere that isn’t the office. So he quickly bolts towards the general area of the clinic. Once he’s a little calmer, he runs towards the sound. 

He regrets taking that long.

Because Eren is curled up on the ground, cradling his arm. 

His doll is on the ground, forgotten in the chaos of things. The adults seem to all be panicking, yelling about this and that that Porco can’t register. All he sees is Eren crying. All he hears is Eren crying. All he-

“W-what happened?” he whispers.

But no one seems to have heard.

And suddenly, Porco registers sound again.

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I didn’t-”

Mrs. Braun puts her hand on Zeke’s shoulder. “Zeke, this isn’t your fault. You were trying to help.”

“What about this? Does it hurt when I touch it here?” Dr. Wolf asks as he gently touches Eren’s shoulder.

“H-hurts…” Eren stammers between his tears.

“Dr. Wolf, you should take him to your hospital. I don’t have the equipment to check his arm,” Dr. Braun says seriously. Then to Zeke, he says, “Can you tell the Grice family what happened?”

“I-I will.”

Dr. Wolf picks Eren up carefully in his arms. He turns and leaves without any other words, but it seems that everyone else is on the same train of thought. Dr. Braun talks to Zeke in calm and soothing voice until Zeke nods and stands up to tell the Grice. 

And that leaves…

Porco picks up the kitty doll on the ground.

“W-what happened?” he asks Mrs. Braun.

“Oh Porco, there you are. Eren almost tripped down the stairs and Zeke protected him. But uh… he might have used a bit more force than necessary. Zeke wasn’t trying to hurt anyone, you understand that, right?”

Porco nods slowly. “I-I’m going to go after Eren.”

“Are you su-”

He doesn’t know what else she said. 

All he knows is that he messed up.

*

He has to really run to catch up to Dr. Wolf. The doctor glances at him but doesn’t say anything. For that, Porco is grateful.

They make it to the hospital without any trouble. 

Porco glances around in hopes of finding Marcel first, but Dr. Wolf keeps moving forward with looking over Eren’s injuries.

“He’s a Warrior Candidate,” Dr. Wolf informs the nurses. “He takes priority over everyone else.”

He knows he shouldn’t really feel this way. But Porco is grateful for that. He doesn’t want to imagine Eren sitting in pain for any second longer.

*

“‘Priority’… means I go first?” Eren asks when they’re relatively alone together.

Porco nods. “Yeah. Because we’re Warrior Candidates.”

“If… mom or Miss Rosa were Warrior Candidates, they wouldn’t have died?”

How is he supposed to answer that? Porco honestly tell him that he doesn’t know. Would they have been alright? Or would it not have mattered? At the end of the day, they’re all Eldians. No matter what kind of pretty titles they like to attach to themselves like “Warrior Candidate” or “Warrior” or even “Honorary Marleyan,” they’re still Eldians in everyone else’s eyes. 

That’s a fact of the world that won’t change no matter how hard they struggle.

Even Porco isn’t stupid enough to not realize that.

“Eren, focus on those living,” he finds himself saying.

There’s a small pause of silence before Eren nods.

“You’re right. We don’t have the luxury to ask that.”

*

Marcel and Colt look furious as they walk up to Porco in the hallway. Dr. Wolf and some nurses took Eren a while ago into the room for a check up and haven’t returned since. Porco is getting nervous as it is, but seeing their angry expressions isn’t helping his nerves.

“What happened?” Marcel demands lowly at the same time Colt asks, “Is Eren okay?”

Porco already knows how this is going to come across as he repeats what Mrs. Braun told him. There’s a look in Marcel’s eyes that lets him know that his brother knows the truth. That they had no intention from the beginning to wait quietly in the library. 

“M-Mr. Zeke did?” Colt asks confused. “But what were you two doing in the Braun Clinic?”

“K-kitty doll,” Porco manages out weakly.

Colt seems to believe Eren’s plan that Porco recites. But Marcel’s eyes stay trained on Porco in an uncomfortable scrutiny. 

“And where’s Bertolt?” Marcel asks softly.

Porco flinches. “L-library.”

“Mr. Zeke is coming with Colt’s parents, right?”

Porco nods.

“Then we’ll go tell Bertolt what happened. Colt, you wait here for your parents and Eren. Tomorrow, we’ll come to your place to see how Eren’s doing.”

Colt looks surprised by that. “You guys don’t want to stay?”

“No. It’s fine. Porco, give Colt Eren’s doll back.”

Porco gulps. Marcel looks livid despite his calm smile on his face. Wish shaking hands, Porco hands Colt the kitty doll and says goodbye.

*

“Did you hate my plan that much?” Marcel asks on their way to the library.

Porco flinches back. “I-it’s not that. I-”

“Who came up with that plan, anyways? You’re too hot-headed to think like that. Bertolt seems like a meek guy, but he seemed smart. Not to mention Eren’s good at thinking on his feet. So which of the two is it?”

He’s half-tempted to lie and say that it was Bertolt. But when he sees Marcel’s eyes, he finds himself meekly admitting the truth.

“Eren.”

Marcel goes quiet. The silence between them as they walk is worse than when Marcel was asking questions.

“It wasn’t because I hated your plan,” Porco forces himself to say. “I just… didn’t want to sit still. Eren said he wanted to check out the Braun Clinic, because Dr. Braun is the one who looked over his mom. A-and it was there. The file on his mom. I found it. A-and… t-the file on Maria Meyer. It wasn’t just a waste of time, alright?”

But it was.

They learned absolutely nothing new by going there. All the information that he found were things that they already knew. There was nothing about where these women were found or their address or anything that they could use to find the next step.

“Do you know why I said we should look at the general hospital?” Marcel asks.

“W-why?”

“Because they need to keep information about their patients that goes beyond just the injuries or sickness that brought them to the hospital. The Braun Clinic is private. Dr. Braun doesn’t have any need to keep addresses. But the general hospital is required by Marley law to keep more information on their patients. Do you get what I’m saying?”

Yes.

Porco wishes that Marcel explained that thought instead of just leaving. Because when he puts it like that, it makes perfect sense that Marcel would decide to check out the hospital’s records. The minute he feels resentful of his brother, he realizes that he’s wrong. Marcel would have explained that. If, instead of letting Eren stop him, Porco had gotten mad and demanded to know more, Marcel would have explained himself.

Today happened because Porco decided that he would rather look cool in front of Eren than to figure out what Marcel was trying to do.

“Marcel, are you mad?”

“Furious,” his brother answers. “You guys lied to me. Lied and pretended to go along with my plan. Now Eren’s hurt, and I… don’t think I can ever trust you guys again.”

Porco doesn’t know how to respond. He thinks he’s supposed to apologize, but the words get caught in his throat. How should he go about apologizing? He doesn’t remember seeing Marcel this angry before. He doesn’t know how to deal with something like this.

Sure, he’s made mistakes before. He’s broken Marcel’s favorite toy. He’s drawn all over Marcel’s favorite books. He’s bitten Marcel when he didn’t get his way. But all those times, Marcel’s frustrations and anger never hit this level of low. To not be trusted by Marcel is something that Porco can’t even begin to comprehend.

“I… I am sorry. I don’t know what to tell you. I was stupid. I wasn’t thinking. I’m sorry. But Marcel, don’t… Don’t take this out on Eren. I should have stopped him and-”

“Does being ‘big brother’ mean that much to you, Porco?”

He doesn’t know how to answer that. 

Marcel seems to have confirmed something from Porco’s silence, though.

Quietly, they make their way to the library.

*

Bertolt takes one look at their faces and seems to understand that something bad happened.

“Is Eren…?” he asks hesitantly.

“We think so? We’re going to visit him tomorrow,” Marcel says. “So just go-”

“W-wait! I found something. I… don’t know if this is something that’s related but-”

“Bertolt, go home,” Marcel says firmly.

Porco is glad that Bertolt is naturally a meek person. Bertolt lowers his head and nods in agreement. 

Good. No one else will make Marcel mad.

At this point, it’ll be for the best to let Marcel cool off. 

Surely, by tomorrow, Marcel will be able to better understand where they’re coming from?

*

Although Marcel smiles and is respectfully polite to their parents, everyone feels the chill of Marcel’s anger at dinner that night.

But when their parents ask if he feels okay, Marcel just smiles as if he has no idea what they’re talking about.

His anger isn’t cooling at all. 

Porco honestly fears for tomorrow.

*

Eren’s arm is in a sling, and he struggles to hold his kitty doll as comfortably as he normally would.

“It’s not broken. Just sprained,” Colt explains, looking relieved. “Dr. Wolf gave him some pain reliever. But he said it’ll be fine in less than a week.”

“That’s good,” Porco sighs.

But Marcel hasn’t said anything since they settled in Colt’s room. It’s starting to make Porco really nervous. 

“Bertolt stopped by last night and told us what he found. Apparently-”

Marcel finally speaks up to interrupt Eren.

“Why did you go behind my back?”

Eren closes his mouth. For a second, Porco thinks that he would turn to glare at Porco for being the blabbermouth that told Marcel the truth. But Eren doesn’t.

Instead, he just quietly stares at the ground for a bit before he manages out, “I thought you’d leave.”

“So you thought instead of talking to me, the best thing to do is lie? Make me think you’re with me and betray me?”

“It wasn’t bet-”

Porco can’t say anything more at Marcel’s glare. He’s in the wrong, too. He doesn’t really have the right to say anything. With a quiet apology, he lowers his gaze.

“Hey Eren, what am I to you?”

There’s a small pause as Eren seems to think about it carefully. Then…

“You’re my brother, aren’t you?”

“Why is that a question?”

Porco doesn’t understand why Marcel is pushing that. Of course, Eren feels uncertain when Marcel is aggressively pushing like that. Isn’t it more surprising if Eren didn’t feel pressured? 

When Eren doesn’t seem to be able to respond, Marcel lets out a soft sigh.

“Let me rephrase. What is it that you want from me? Do you want my plans? But when I came up with one, you threw it aside to do your own thing. Do you want my strength? My knowledge? But you threw both of those aside, too. So what is it that you want, Eren?”

“I… don’t want to hide things from you. I don’t want to come up with plans behind your back. I want to be able to… to stand next to you.”

Marcel scoffs. “So you did this?”

For just a second, Porco thinks that Eren is going to throw his kitty doll at Marcel. He thinks that Eren is going to lash out, to get mad. But then the second passes without any show of anger. Instead, Eren puts his doll down and grabs Marcel’s hand.

“I don’t want to lose you. I don’t want to be alone.”

Marcel pulls his hand free. “And you didn’t think that doing something like this wouldn’t hurt me? You can’t say you don’t want to lose me while pushing me away. Do you understand why I am mad?”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t think about your feelings. I just… thought that you’d leave. If I disagreed, you’d leave.”

“Alright. Let’s start there.” Marcel grabs Eren by the cheeks and pulls. “I am your big brother, aren’t I? That means, if you don’t like what I’m doing, you’re supposed to challenge me. If you disagree with me, fight me.”

“A-aren’t I supposed to obey you?”

Marcel lets out a loud buzzer noise and releases Eren’s cheeks. “Nope! Wrong! Do you know why you can fight me without any fear?”

“W-why…?” Eren asks, looking more and more confused.

“Because I’m never going to leave. Eren, we are your brothers. We aren’t going to leave you. So be honest with us. Tell us if you don’t like a plan. If we don’t all work together, we’re going to lose the SK Case. No more going behind our backs.”

Eren’s eyes begin to water. But Porco doesn’t really blame him. Marcel’s way of scolding you is always so harsh but gentle. It’s something Porco really wants to learn how to do. Because that’s just part of many things that make Marcel such a cool big brother.

“You really won’t leave? Really?”

Marcel hugs Eren, being mindful of the sling. “I promise. In fact, I’m going to be around so much that you’re going to be begging me to leave.”

“Never!”

Porco feels relieved when he hears the giggle in Eren’s voice. He’s certain that Colt feels the same, because he relates to the smile on Colt’s face.

“Now, why don’t we go pick up Bertolt to talk about what he found? It won’t be fair to leave him out of this now,” Marcel suggests.

“Pfft. So much for not being friends,” Porco sniggers.

And Marcel must be feeling that much better if he’s the one lightly kicking Porco’s leg.


	5. The Truth Behind Eren’s Birth Situation While This Stupid Author Pretends to Fan the Mystery That Everyone Has Already Solved

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Continuation of discussion of Serial Killer's murder.

“Six months before Maria’s death was reported in the newspaper, there was a bloody case. The body of a Warrior Candidate by the name of Iris Wolf was found behind the dumpster of the burger place in the market. She was reportedly stabbed 33 times and had her head bashed in. It’s slightly different form the other cases. But this is the earliest report of violence done to a woman in Liberio that matches our time frame.”

Having concluded his report, Bertolt picks up one of the cookies that his mom got out for them when she realized that his friends wanted to hang out in his room. He takes a bite and chews slowly as he waits for their verdict.

“If we say that Iris was killed first, then we can make the assumption that the publicity from that is the reason why SK switched targets to those who won’t stand out,” Marcel says.

Eren doesn’t see anything wrong with that statement. He nods in agreement while eating a cookie.

“So we can safely say that the next target will be someone that the Marleys won’t investigate?” Colt asks.

Marcel nods. “That would be my guess. It doesn’t make sense otherwise. After what happened with Iris, SK decided to take a step back so that the string of tragedies won’t be traced back. The other thing to note from this is that the body is always found some time after the death. Which mean that SK strikes when most people aren’t around.”

“Mom made it to work but not back home,” Eren recalls. “If we go by that, it’ll have to be early in the morning like 3 to 5 am.”

“But why every three months?” Porco wonders.

“It could be any number of things. Maybe SK is particular about the number 3. Maybe that’s how long it takes for SK to find a target and location. Maybe SK can’t physically do anything until it’s been 3 months. Unfortunately, that’s not enough for us to go on right now.”

Eren finishes his cookie and reaches for another one. But before his hand can grasp it, Colt takes it instead and helps wipe it with a napkin. 

“I… wanted another one,” he tells Colt.

Colt shakes his head. “You shouldn’t eat too much sweets. Dr. Wolf said to watch what you eat.”

“Dr. Wolf…? Oh, I wonder if he’s related to Iris,” Porco mumbles.

That’s a good point. Related to Iris, huh? If that’s the case, maybe that’s why Dr. Wolf looked so relieved to see Hartwin alive. Because he was tired of seeing kids die. Somehow, that seems sad, too.

“Are we going to look into Iris Wolf?” Bertolt asks softly.

Marcel seems to think about that carefully. Then he says, “Figuring out why she died would probably help us narrow our suspects down. But at this moment in time, I don’t think we’ll be able to find much. For now, it’ll be for the best to make preparation on how to deal with SK.”

“Iris Wolf was a Warrior Candidate, right?” Eren finds himself asking.

Everyone glances at him with looks that seem to say that they know what he’s thinking. Despite that, Eren voices his question anyways.

“Wouldn’t Dr. Zeke or Hartwin know about her, then?”

“You want to go to the clinic again today?” Porco asks him with an annoyed scowl.

That’s true. He’s been going there a lot recently, hasn’t he? They’re probably tired of seeing him.

“W-we haven’t really thanked them for their help yesterday,” Colt recalls. “Why don’t we use that as an excuse?”

Slowly, they all turn to stare at Marcel for his verdict. He seems to realize what they’re doing because he lets out a small sigh.

“Getting more information can’t hurt.”

*

Zeke is sweeping in front of the clinic when they get there. He greets them absentmindedly until his eyes catch sight of Eren. Then his face becomes dark with worry and guilt.

Eren feels terrible for putting Zeke through that.

“A-are you feeling alright? I’m so sorry about your arm. I-”

“I wanted to thank you,” Eren explains with a smile. “If you didn’t catch me, Dr. Wolf said I would have hurt my head.”

Zeke still doesn’t look very convinced. 

This person, Eren can’t help but to think, is as kind as his mom. Someone who naturally worries for others and tries to help them. That short moment when he grabbed Eren’s arm to prevent him from falling down the stairs must have shaken his heart. Eren feels really bad for hurting Zeke like this, but he didn’t know how else to get the doctors out of the office so that Porco could escape. He knows it won’t make up for the hurt and he will never apologize for what he did, but he can do this little.

Eren gives Colt his doll to hold and tugs Zeke’s shirt. When Zeke stares at him confused, Eren motions for him to get closer. Zeke looks bemused as he kneels down to be closer to Eren’s height. 

With his one free arm, he hugs Zeke.

“Thank you for helping me.”

Zeke’s hands tremble as he slowly wraps them around Eren. Eren hopes that this little can help calm Zeke’s heart.

*

“Dr. Zeke, do a lot of the Warrior Candidates get hurt?” Marcel asks.

They’re currently in the kitchen of the Braun Clinic with a plate of fruits in front of them. Mrs. Braun laughed when she saw them and prepared them this array with the excuse that growing boys need to eat healthy. Eren has no qualms about munching down on the apple slices before Colt can stop him because they're being a burden to the Braun family.

Zeke lets out an embarrassed laughter. “It’s fine to just call me Zeke. As for your question… Unfortunately, yes. It’s not exactly a safe job.”

“What’s the worst injury you’ve seen?” Porco asks.

Although this is part of their information gathering, Porco looks really interested in knowing the answer to this question. Eren finds that rather cute of him.

“The worst would probably be when Sigi stepped on a landmine… A-ah, we don’t do things like that anymore. So you guys don’t have to worry.”

The apple has a satisfying crunch that Eren likes. Seeing him reach for another one, Colt puts a fork in his hand with an exasperated smile. Eren gives a sheepish smile in return. The crunch the apple makes when Eren puts his fork through is just as satisfying as biting into it. Eren beams.

“How did Hartwin get injured?” Porco asks.

Zeke looks down at his hands. “We’re uh… not too sure, actually. He just started coughing up blood one day. No one could figure out what was wrong with him, so it made it hard to figure out how to help him. But since he and the others all started around the same time during a mission, it probably had something to do with something we ate there, maybe?”

Since he looks so down, Eren holds the apple on his fork for Zeke to have. Zeke looks taken back at first, but then chuckles. He accepts the offered apple slice with a soft thanks. Eren gets himself another apple slice.

“It might not mean much to you guys, but I promise that I will do my best to protect you,” Zeke says. He looks to each of them so earnestly that Eren can’t help but to wonder if it’ll be bad to include him in their SK Case.

Probably not, huh? It would be bad if Zeke ends up getting hurt because of it. 

“Did you also try to protect Iris?” Marcel asks.

Cold, Eren thinks. Marcel, that’s too cold of a question to ask! But he’s also feeling frustrated at how long it’s taking to get the information they want. He just wishes there was a better way to approach this topic.

“Iris was… I wish she didn’t die the way she did. But at the very least the perpetrator was caught.”

“What does that mean? Perpe…?” Eren asks around his apple.

Zeke gives him a small smile. “It means… someone who did something very bad.”

Eh? But if the person who killed Iris was caught then… Eren turns to stare at Bertolt, who looks just as shocked by the news. It looks like everyone is staring at him, silently demanding him to explain himself. Zeke glances at all of them confused.

“Did I say something wrong?”

“No,” Marcel says with a polite smile. “Sorry. It’s nothing. Who was it? The person who did it?”

“What are you kids talking about?” Mrs. Braun asks as she walks into the kitchen with a bag of more fruits. Did she just run out to buy more for them?

“Would you like some help with that?” Eren asks.

Mrs. Braun laughs. “I’m fine, Eren. Thank you for asking. Do you kids want anymore fruits?”

“I think we’re good,” Marcel says. “We should be going.”

That’s their signal to thank the Brauns for their time and get ready to go. Eren makes sure to thank them for the delicious apple.

“See you tomorrow, Dr. Zeke!” Eren says.

“It’s fine to just say Zeke!”

*

Marcel allows his frustrations to show few steps after they’ve left the clinic. He drops to the ground, curling into a small ball. They all hear him groan.

“H-hey…?” Porco asks.

“I should have checked it myself,” Marcel grumbles. “Why did I trust that at face value?”

It takes them a second to realize that he’s talking about the Iris case. Bertolt has a guilty look on his face as he apologizes.

“No, no. It’s not your fault. I didn’t consider this possibility, so I never asked you to look into this. For now, let’s go to the library and find out what we can about this.”

Colt lets out a small sound and takes out the pocket watch he borrowed from Uncle for today. He puts it back and pulls out a small pill bottle.

“Eren, your medicine.”

“Do I have to?” Eren mumbles. “I don’t like pills.”

Already, he choked trying to get it down last night. He was hoping that Colt would forget about it because of the excitement of the SK Case. But it seems that Colt didn’t forget that Eren didn’t eat one this morning. 

“Oh, the pain killer, right?” Marcel asks, looking calmer.

Colt nods. “C’mon, Eren.”

Reluctantly, Eren takes the pill and puts it in his mouth. Colt gets a water bottle from his bag out for Eren. And with everyone watching his every move, Eren can’t even pretend to eat it so he can spit the pill out somewhere. 

He forces it down after few attempts. He really wishes whoever made pills considered small kids like him trying to get it down.

“Okay, we can go now,” Colt says once he puts the water bottle back.

*

This sucks.

The pill kicks in sometime after sitting in the library with bunch of newspapers and magazine carefully preserved in binders. Eren thought that “pain killers” mean that they would just make him numb. Not make him drowsy as hell.

He feels his head nod and his body sway. This isn’t fair. He wants to help figure this out.

Bertolt puts his arm around Eren and pulls him against his shoulder.

“Go ahead and rest. I’ll cover you,” Bertolt tells him softly.

Eren nods and smiles against Bertolt’s shoulder. “‘M thanks.”

*

He wakes up to someone softly shaking him.

“Colt?” he mumbles.

“Do you want to sleep longer?” Colt asks.

Eren wants to be awake. He really does. But it’s hard to keep his eyes longer. His limbs all feel heavy. Is he really going to be okay with going to Warrior Training like this?

“That’s okay. I’ll carry you.”

“Colt, you focus on Eren’s Kitty. I’ll carry him.”

Eren is dimly aware of getting on someone’s back. He finds himself falling back asleep against the warmth.

*

The pill must have worn off in the middle of the night, because Eren is suddenly awake. Colt is sleeping next to him. The kitty doll has been set by the bedside, possibly by Auntie. He slept through dinner, he thinks unhappily.

And to think tomorrow, he’ll have to survive Warrior Training on top of eating that pill. Can’t he just skip it?

Not to mention what happened with the research? He wants to know. But he doesn’t want to disturb Colt.

It sucks, but he forces himself to return to sleep.

*

“I don’t want the pill,” he grumbles in the morning.

“This is just until your arm is better, okay? Dr. Wolf said one every six hours,” Auntie reminds him gently.

He doesn’t want to cause her trouble. He knows they all mean well. Besides, it’s only until his arm gets better.

With that thought comforting him, he takes one.

*

As he thought. It’s hard to keep up with anything anyone is saying. He feels drowsy. Has his body always been this heavy? This is bad. If he can’t keep up now, won’t he end up dropping as a Warrior Candidate?

He feels someone grip his shoulder to steady him.

Huh? Did he stumble? He can’t recall. He just-

The world goes black.

*

The next time he wakes up, it’s in an unfamiliar bed of a room that looks kind of like the private clinic room. But this place is on the first floor (at least, judging form the view from the window), so he can’t be at the Braun Clinic. Faintly, he is aware of someone arguing just outside of the door. But his eyes are stuck on the position of the sun in the sky.

It looks to be late afternoon. Did everyone go home already? 

“-understand. I know what I’m…”

The man who walks in through the door trails off when he realizes that Eren is awake.

“O-oh! You’re awake!” The man clears his throat and calms himself. With a soft smile, he says, “I’m Dr. Grisha. The doctor in charge of the Warrior Division is currently on vacation, so I was called in. How are you feeling?”

Eren notes that Dr. Grisha doesn’t have an armband. A Marleyan. They seriously brought a Marleyan doctor here? He feels so uncomfortable. Why wouldn't they bring Dr. Wolf instead? Isn't he supposed to be the doctor in charge of the Warriors?

“I-I’m okay. If that’s everything, then may I go home?”

The door quietly clicks open, and Commander Magath walks in. That must mean that everyone has already left for the day. Eren really wishes that he knew where his kitty doll is, because he would really like some kind of comfort.

“Before you do, I wanted to ask you a few questions.” Dr. Grisha holds up the pill bottle he must have taken from Colt. “Your Eldian doctor told you to take this every six hours, is that correct?”

Eren nods.

“That’s the dosage that you give adults. For a small child like you, eating that much could potentially kill you.”

Dr. Grisha’s lips pull into a thin line. Although the anger in his eyes is not directed at Eren, he can’t help but to tense up.

An angry Marleyan is never a good thing.

Commander Magath clears his throat, alerting Dr. Grisha of his presence. Eren doesn’t know what their silent conversation with just their eyes mean. But it feels hostile. 

He wants to get out of here fast. Damn it. Why didn't Colt or someone leave him his kitty doll?

“Eren,” Dr. Grisha says.

It’s over, isn’t it?

A Marleyan knowing his name can only mean-

“Living in the internment zone is clearly not good for you. I knew I should have gone to pick you up when I heard about Carla. I’m sorry for waiting this long. But man, I didn’t think you’d take completely after her. You’re going to be a heartbreaker just like your mom, aren’t you?”

… Huh?

“Grisha, don’t,” Magath warns.

“No. I held my tongue for far too long. I’ve already lost Carla due to my inabilities and my silence. I’m not going to lose my son, too.”

Huh? No. Wait. What?

“Eren,” Dr. Grisha says, turning his attention back to him. “Wouldn’t you prefer to live with me as a Marleyan? You won’t have to do something stupid like become a Warrior-”

“Grisha!”

Dr. Grisha ignores the Commander’s anger. “You don’t have to listen to stupid doctors who clearly don’t know how to take care of children. I will take care of everything. Just trust your dad.”

None of this is making any sense.

“So uh… can I leave?” Eren manages out weakly.

Both Dr. Grisha and Commander Magath have strangely strained expressions on their faces. Eren glances at the window. Since this is just the first floor, he would be able to jump out without any issue. But the problem is that he’s currently talking to Marleyans. Would the Grice family be safe he were to do something as rude as run out like that?

“I… I was probably too forceful. Let me try again. Eren, I am your dad. Did… Did Carla not talk about me?”

… His dad?

That can’t be. Well, Carla never talked about Eren’s dad. But there’s no way that his mom liked a Marleyan… No, better phrased would be there’s no way that a Marleyan would like an Eldian. It makes no sense. Why would a Marleyan ever be interested in an Eldian? Sure, Eren’s mom was a beautiful woman who could make anyone’s heart flutter because of her kind smile and her gentle heart. But a Marleyan?

Ah.

Is that why she never talked about him?

Because she knew it would make trouble for his dad.

So even though so many people bad-mouthed her and assumed the worst of her, she never said anything in order to protect him. 

“I don’t have a dad,” Eren says firmly.

There’s no need for Commander Magath to give Eren that look like he’s satisfied. And it’s not like Eren’s doing this because this is what Carla would have wanted. For one, if the truth came out, the Grice family will come under scrutiny for taking him in. For another, it would make it difficult to track down the serial killer. And most importantly, wouldn’t accepting that he has a Marleyan dad mean saying goodbye to his brothers? That’s not even talking about how impossible it’d be for him to be part of the Marleyan society.

No. His current situation is the best for him right now.

“I… I see… So she never talked about me. But Eren, I am serious. I have loved your mom for a very long time. But she refused to marry me every time I asked. And when you were born, she ran even further away from me by going to work at that bar. If it wasn’t for Theo here and the Public Security Authorities, I would have ran straight to her.”

And then what?

He would abandon his Marley name and blood to live the rest of his life as an Eldian? Unlikely. No one would allow that to happen. In fact, wouldn’t that have assured his mom’s death much earlier?

He would sweep Carla off her feet and take her to a far away land where fairy tale endings can come true? Unlikely. There’s no such place in this world.

Then doesn’t that leave just one ending? The ending that all of these stories always end up in.

Double suicide.

He supposes it’ll be triple, since he would have to be included in that.

“Sir, I believe my family will be worried if I keep them waiting without any reason.”

Dr. Grisha grabs Eren by the shoulders. And it’s not like Eren is scared, but the sudden movement just startled him. That’s the only reason why he flinched back.

“Grisha, stop it. We all knew this is how things would end. Carla told you time and time again. Just… let it go,” Magath says.

If Commander Magath knew about Carla and Dr. Grisha, then doesn’t it stand to reason why Eren was chosen to be a Warrior Candidate was because he-

“And before you misunderstand, Jaeger, you weren’t chosen because of your connections. I chose you for the reason I told you,” Commander Magath says, giving Eren a look like he can see through him. “In fact, I expect you to continue on as an Eldian as you have been. I’m sure you catch my drift?”

“Don’t threaten my son,” Dr. Grisha snaps. 

“I’m not your son,” Eren reminds him.

He pretends he can’t see the look of betrayal on Dr. Grisha’s face.

“T-then, I’ll be taking my-”

“Wait,” Dr. Grisha says.

Eren doesn’t want to hear what he has to say anymore. But then Dr. Grisha holds up the bottle of pills.

“From now on, take half of one only if it really hurts. You just have a sprained arm. There’s no need for you to eat so many. Honestly, Eldian doctors don’t even know that much!”

When Eren reaches to take the bottle, Dr. Grisha pulls the bottle back. Eren can’t figure out what this man wants. Dr. Grisha shakes the bottle, signaling that Eren should try again. This is a trap. But Eren doesn’t think Colt (or Uncle or Auntie) would react well if he returned without the pills.

Hesitantly, Eren reaches for it again. 

Dr. Grisha makes a move to pull the bottle back. But Eren’s prepared. He’s going to just snatch it and-

It seems he misread the situation.

The doctor pulls him into a hug.

“Even if you won’t accept me, I will always be your ally. Eren, you don’t have to be afraid.”

“Grisha, let the poor kid go,” Commander Magath sighs.

Dr. Grisha’s smile looks sad. That’s all Eren notes as he holds the pill bottle close to himself.

“P-please excuse me,” he manages out.

He closes the door before Dr. Grisha tries to say something more.

*

“Eren!” Colt yells out.

Everyone is here, Eren notes with relief. No one went home. Colt is holding the kitty doll almost anxiously.

“S-sorry for keeping you waiting!” he says.

He resolves to keep his discovery about his father a secret.

*

“T-the what?”

“The Marleyan doctor. He said I shouldn’t be eating more than half a pill and only if it hurts,” Eren explains to the Grice family.

They look taken back, which Eren figured they would. And most definitely, they would trust Dr. Wolf’s words over Dr. Grisha’s. But Eren also doesn’t like eating these pills.

“He said if I keep falling asleep, then I won’t be allowed to be a Warrior Candidate,” Eren continues.

It’s a lie, of course. No one said anything close to that. In fact, he gets an inkling of a feeling that Dr. Grisha might throw a tantrum if Eren gets suddenly stripped of his Warrior Candidacy from today’s meeting. 

Eren, for the life of him, can’t decide if that’s a good thing or not.

“I-it… might not be a bad idea for you to not be a Warrior Candidate,” Auntie says.

Why is everyone around him saying such ridiculous things today?

“I don’t understand,” he tells her honestly. “It’s the greatest honor to have a chance to be a Warrior.”

The look in her eyes remind him of guilt. But he’s not too sure why. Being a Warrior is a great honor and something that everyone should strive for, isn’t it? 

“Y-you’re right. I’m sorry, Eren. I said something strange.”

They drop the conversation there with the agreement to listen to the Marleyan doctor.

*

“Colt, what happened while I was out?” Eren asks when the two of them are settled into bed.

“Not too much. We just did basic training and introductions. We’ll introduce you to Annie and Pieck tomorrow. They’re really nice.”

“And SK Case?”

Colt chuckles. “Pfft! Marcel guessed you’d be like this, but I didn’t think you’d be so serious.”

“Don’t laugh!” Eren whines.

Colt pulls Eren close. With this close of a proximity, it’s easy to feel Colt’s tremor. 

“When you suddenly collapsed, we were worried. I’m really glad that you’re okay.”

“That’s nice. But what about the SK Case?” 

“Eren, you’re… seriously not cute.”

“Okay, and the case?”

Colt lets out a sigh. At the very least, he stopped trembling. Eren decides to take it as his victory.

“The person who killed Iris Wolf was caught three months later. Since Bertolt was working backwards while looking for information on murders, he didn’t think much of the report of the arrest. That’s why he didn’t notice it. Marcel said that brings up two options. The first is that the current SK is someone who is making a homage to Iris’s murderer. The second is that the wrong person was arrested.”

So although they’ve managed to get more information, they ended up not being able to solve anything.

“At this time, Marcel thinks we should focus more on getting ready to stop SK.”

“No complaints here.” Eren snuggles against Colt, hiding his face against Colt’s chest. “I’m glad you guys waited for me.”

It’s because it’s Colt that Eren can be spoiled like this. Porco would have teased him. Marcel would have laughed. But Colt just holds Eren tightly.

“I was wrong earlier. You’re definitely the cutest.”

*

“Good morning!” Eren greets when he and Colt gets to the Warrior Headquarters. 

“Good morning! You’re so energetic. Are you feeling better?” asks a girl that Eren hasn’t met before. She smiles kindly and holds her hand out for him. “I’m Pieck.”

“I’m Eren. I am feeling better. Thank you for asking.”

When Eren takes her hand, she leans in close for a second. Then with a small giggle, she pulls back.

“I-is something wrong?” he asks. He glances at Colt for help, but it looks like Colt’s shoelace is untied. Colt is kneeling on the ground, tying it.

“Nope! Don’t mind me! I was just curious as to who made all those boys so worried. No wonder they were, you’re cute.”

Eren feels his cheeks flush red. He tries to hide behind his kitty doll, but it’s hard to hold it with the sling getting in the way. 

“T-thank you,” he stammers.

He has no idea how to read the expression on her face. But there’s something a little… scary about it. He uneasily takes a step back when she springs.

“Ahhhh! You’re so cute!” She yells, throwing her arms around him. 

Eren stiffens at the contact. Feeling that, she lets him go with a surprised look.

“Oh, I’m sorry. You’re-”

Thankfully, Porco’s light kick to Eren’s back saves the day. With just a bit of furrowed brow of worry, he glances at Eren.

“You alright?”

Eren has half a mind to hug him. But he’s afraid that if he does, he’d drop his doll. So instead, he offers a shaky smile.

“We saw each other yesterday,” Eren reminds him.

Marcel sniggers at the embarrassed blush on Porco’s face. Ignoring his brother, he puts his arm around Eren’s shoulder.

“It’s good to see you up and about. Don’t scare us like that again, okay?”

“No, seriously. We had this talk yesterday,” Eren complains.

It looks like Colt has finished tying his shoelaces. He looks up at them and greets the Galliards. Few minutes later, Bertolt and Annie arrive. 

“Is Dr. Zeke not coming today?” he wonders.

“He’s probably already here. Today sounded like we’re getting medical examinations.”

Medical… It can’t be, right?

*

It is.

Dr. Wolf looks infinitely frustrated as Dr. Grisha scoffs at the dietary supplements. Zeke is standing near the door, pale-faced. Commander Magath looks like he’s nursing a headache when the rest of them file into the office.

“Let’s just get this over with,” the Commander sighs. “This is Dr. Wolf from your hospital. Dr. Grisha here is… the current doctor on hand for the Warrior Division. If there’s any problems, default to Dr. Wolf’s expertise.”

Eren thought that Dr. Grisha would complain, but it seems at least he knows enough to not undermine the Commander’s authority. Perhaps even if you’re a Marleyan, there’s still a structure that you have to follow?

When Dr. Grisha realizes that Eren is looking at him, he smiles and gives a small wave. Eren quickly looks away. He really hopes his cheeks aren’t turning red.

“Dr. Wolf, if you will?”

With a forced smile on his face, Dr. Wolf faces them. “When you guys go on missions and such, you’ll be given a soldier’s ration. But those things most definitely do not have enough nutrients for your growing bodies.”

Dr. Grisha snorts. Dr. Wolf gives him an annoyed glance before turning his attention back.

“To make sure you guys become strong and reliable weapons for Marley, you need to take these dietary supplements. They’re all labeled as to when you’re supposed to take them. Make sure your parents know, too.”

“But more than supplements, it’s better you guys eat a balanced diet,” Dr. Grisha growls.

“These supplements are here because certain parents struggle with giving children balanced diets,” Dr. Wolf says with a forced smile. “I’m sure that’s a foreign concept for honorable Marleyans such as yourself.”

Dr. Grisha stares at Dr. Wolf for a second longer before smiling. Then he turns towards…

Ah, please no.

“Eren, what did you have for breakfast today?”

Does Dr. Grisha really have to signal him out like this?

“T-toast and banana.”

Dr. Wolf’s lips twitch into a smile, but he manages to school his expression. But Dr. Grisha’s eyes doesn’t go anywhere near him. Instead, he stares at Eren with disbelieving hurt. Commander Magath seems to understand what this means, because he covers his eyes.

“That’s all you ate?” Dr. Grisha turns to the Commander with determination. “Why doesn’t the Warrior Division provide food for their weapons? Instead of wasting money on useless things like supplements, the funds should go into purchasing food for the future Warriors.”

Oh, wow. He actually phrased it in a way that wouldn’t just benefit Eren. If every Warrior Candidate is given food here, then it should be less of a financial burden on their families. Eren is pretty sure he’s not the only one staring at the Commander with hopeful eyes. 

Commander Magath lets out a heavy sigh. “I’ll bring it up to the higher ups. In the meanwhile, write a report for me detailing all the pros.”

“Of course.” Dr. Grisha’s attention returns to Eren. “Are you hungry? Should we get some food for you?”

“I’m fine,” Eren says firmly.

“What about lunch? You… do have more than just bread for lunch, right?”

Eren nods. “Yes sir. I have a ham and cheese sandwich.”

At the very least, Dr. Grisha look okay with-

“Understood. Since the Commander doesn’t have permission yet, I’ll buy you lunch. What do you like-”

“Dr. Grisha, know your place,” Magath cuts it short.

Eren can’t believe he actually feels grateful for the Commander’s existence. But then he feels the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. The other Warrior Candidates are all staring at him. Marcel’s glare is especially prickly.

He’s going to get a stern talking to, isn’t he?

*

“Yesterday, when I was in the clinic, Dr. Grisha told me that he’s…” 

Eren pauses. It’s not that he doesn’t trust his brothers and Bertolt to keep this a secret, but he doesn’t know if he himself accepts it. A Marleyan is his father?

Yeah right.

Don’t be disgusting. 

Eren knows men. Dr. Grisha, Marleyan or not, is just that.

A man.

“He liked mom,” Eren says. “He said I look like her.”

He’s twisting Dr. Grisha’s words around. But it’s the only thing he can think of to keep his brothers. If he acknowledges that he is half-Marleyan, then this peaceful and happy life he managed to carve for himself would disappear again.

He will lose everything again.

Colt takes Eren’s kitty doll out of his hand and takes Eren’s hand in his. 

“I’ll protect you,” he promises.

That’s not quite what Eren needs, but it’s comforting to hear. He grins.

“I know!”

Porco taps Eren’s chest. “How do you always get into these trouble?”

“It’s not really trouble,” Eren protests.

But Porco cuts him off by ruffling his hair. With a grin on his face that makes him look five times cooler than normal, he says, “Leave it to your big brothers.”

“I-I’ll help, too,” Bertolt says.

But what are they helping him from?

“At the very least, it doesn’t look like he means you harm. And if the Commander really does manage to get us food for the Warrior Division, it’ll be helpful for our families, too,” Marcel mumbles. Then with a mischievous grin, he adds, “Maybe you’ll be able to get other goods for us through it.”

“That’s for emergencies. If I use it too much, Commander Magath will get in the way,” Eren says.

Marcel laughs. “Already planned it all out, haven’t you?”

*

“Have you talked to Dr. Zeke about Hartwin recently?” Eren finds himself asking on their way back home.

“Hm? No. You’re surprising pretty attached to that guy, huh?” Porco says.

Eren takes out the supplement bottle that he swiped from Dr. Wolf before they left for the day. “There’s something that’s been bothering me. Will you hear me out and help me?”

His brothers laugh. Even Bertolt gives him an exasperated smile.

How reliable.

Yeah, Eren will never trade this for anything.


	6. The Anti-Climactic Conclusion That Everyone Saw Coming But That’s Okay Because That’s Not Why You Wonderful Readers are Reading This Story… Right? RIGHT?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, this one really flew by once I started writing it. XD I feel like I probably had way too much self-indulging fun with this. ^^''' Sorry, [tatakaeren](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tatakaeren/pseuds/tatakaeren)! It started out as a birthday gift and then I just had fun by myself. I'm very sorry. >_>
> 
> Thank you everyone who took the time to read such a strange story. I can't imagine what you were expecting when you clicked on this, especially looking at the strange tag and the summary. ^^'''' Thank you especially to [dolta](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dolta/pseuds/dolta), [ArataAtlus](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArataAtlus/pseuds/ArataAtlus), [Halcyon_Days](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Halcyon_Days/pseuds/Halcyon_Days), and [tatakaeren](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tatakaeren/pseuds/tatakaeren) for being so patient with me and for leaving me kind encouragements! I feel like I can't ever thank you all enough for your continued support. I hope this ending isn't too much of a downer.... Haha... >_>
> 
> Then without any further fanfares, shall we end this?

“Hey Hartwin, did you eat this every day?” Eren asks, holding up the supplement bottle.

“Huh? Oh. You guys must have gotten yours, too, huh? Yeah. Two a day. Like everyone. I think Zeke’s the only one who gets away with not eating them since he’s Dr. Braun’s kid.”

Evidence 1.

*

“I asked around the hospital,” Colt says. “The previous Warrior Candidates were all stripped of their title when they started coughing up blood.”

“And no one thought it was suspicious that they all had a mysterious illness?” Porco asks in disbelief.

“They all assumed it was from one of the missions. Remember, Dr. Zeke said that.”

Evidence 2.

*

“Ah, here it is,” Bertolt says. “His name is ‘Sigi,’ right?”

Eren and Porco nod.

“Sigi Wolf. A Warrior Candidate that died on a mission when he stepped on a landmine.” Bertolt points to the tiny obituary in the newspaper. “It looks like he’s Dr. Wolf’s son. Iris was Sigi’s cousin.”

Evidence 3.

*

“At this rate, we’ll end up solving SK Case before he strikes,” Marcel muses with a grin. “Haha! Aren’t we too good at this? Instead of Warriors, we should become detectives.”

Eren laughs at the thought. “No one will hire us!”

“Not with that attitude,” Marcel teases.

“I can forgive Eren, since his arm is in a sling. But Marcel, stop yapping and help out!” Porco snaps.

Marcel laughs but moves to clear the area the best they can of the makeshift gun range.

“Are you sure we can use this place?” Colt asks Bertolt, who flinches at suddenly being addressed.

“Y-yeah. It’s fine. My uncle’s going to be out of town for about a week for some business.”

Porco shakes his head, staring at the rifles and other weapons one would typically not see in Liberio. “Jeesh, no wonder you’re so good at sharp-shooting.”

Bertolt blushes. 

“Thanks for letting us use this place,” Eren says honestly. “When your uncle isn’t around, let’s use this place as our secret base.”

“Yeah!”

All that’s left is for Eren’s arm to heal.

*

That was the plan, at least.

But Eren forgot to account for the fact that Tilo was also hunting.

Careless. 

He got much too careless. Did having things go his way for once make him lose all caution? Or is it the delicious food that Dr. Grisha and the Commander have managed to get for them that made him relax this much?

They’re dealing with a serial killer.

He can’t be this careless.

“I saw it on my way home. It didn’t look like anything dangerous. But Dr. Wolf going quietly into the bad side of Liberio seemed suspicious,” Bertolt explained when he first reported to them of what happened.

Yeah, it’s suspicious as hell, alright.

This has to be Tilo. But what do they have on Dr. Wolf to be able to obediently call him into the bad side? Unless it isn’t? 

“It’s possible that it has to do with the supplements,” Marcel points out as they run.

“Getting them from the bad side of Liberio, huh? So dirty,” Porco mumbles.

“If it’s Tilo, they will go to the bar. But if it’s not him, then I don’t know where they might go,” Eren admits.

“Hm? If it isn’t Eren! Where are you off to?”

At the sound of Rein’s voice, Eren stops running. “Rein! You were watching Tilo, right? About Miss Rosa?”

His brothers and Bertolt stop. Marcel comes to stand right by Eren’s side. Rein raises his brow at the sight, but Eren isn’t in the mood to talk about that.

“Ah. That old story? Tilo ran off his anger, so he’s back to work like a diligent boy,” Rein sniggers. “He should’ve just done that from the start instead of worrying everyone! He’s such an idiot! Haha!”

Tilo probably got tired of having Rein as his babysitter, huh? 

“If I want pills, who do I talk to?”

“Pills? Probably the underground docs by the pharmacy… H-huh? Wait a minute! E-Eren, why are you looking for pills? Y-you’re not…? T-these guys aren’t…? Eren! You’re too young! Carla’s going to kill me from beyond the grave!”

“Let’s go! I know where that is,” Eren tells his brothers and Bertolt.

Ignoring Rein’s loud protests, they run.

*

Although they call it a pharmacy, it’s more correct to say this is a place of “wonder” medicine. Eren once asked his mom what that meant, but she just glared at the other bar workers for talking about “such a thing” in front of him. From that, he understood that it’s something illegal.

Between a broken down apartment and the cemetery of Liberio, there’s a small warehouse that doubles as a lab for the pharmacy. Eren has seen it in passing when he followed his mom to the bar before. But he’s never been there himself. But from the short times he has been here, he remembers that there are plenty of places for them to hide.

“… It’s like a scene out of a book,” Marcel mumbles, shaking his head in disbelief.

The five of them hide using the rubble from the broken down apartment while they watch the scene.

Dr. Wolf looks annoyed as he stands against four people. 

“I paid it all off, didn’t I? Why are you calling me out for?” Dr. Wolf growls.

“Ahhhh? You did. But it pissed me off the way you did. Telling your nurses that we’re second rates like that really hurts the feeling, you know?”

Typical scum behavior, Eren thinks. Deal with scum, be dealt as a scum. 

Marcel makes a small motion for them to gather. The five of them sneak into the apartment building so they won’t be overheard. But Eren gets the feeling those guys outside won’t notice them.

“Well, this is kinda awkward,” he says. He crosses his arms in front of himself, looking like he’s struggling to think of what to do. “The guy we’re hunting ended up being hunted by someone else. But this can be our advantage. Once they’re done, we’ll just swoop in and talk to Dr. Wolf. It’ll actually save us the trouble of catching him ourselves.”

As he says this, he turns to look at Eren.

“Are you okay with that?”

“Hm? What do you mean?”

Why wouldn’t he be okay with it? Eren tilts his head to the side.

Marcel stares at him for a beat longer before sighing. “Are you serious? I thought you’d be all up in arms. Because this is a dirty way of getting to Dr. Wolf. I thought you’d want us to fight fair and square.”

“There’s nothing fair and square about someone knocking someone down before stabbing them. Let him suffer a bit. As long as he’s conscious enough to talk, I’ll be fine.”

He doesn’t like the way everyone’s staring at him.

“W-what?!” Eren exclaims.

“No, I just… thought you’d be more straight-laced,” Porco admits.

“We’re here to bring down a dumb beast that’s been hunting our own. There’s no need to treat it like a human.”

“How cold,” Bertolt whispers.

Eren frowns. “B-but-”

Colt squeezes Eren’s shoulder with a grin. “It’s fine. We’re on your side. Right, Bertolt?”

“Of course.” Bertolt gives a sheepish smile. “We’re on the same side. Besides, being cold like that… I think it’s really cool.”

Eren feels like he’s heard of Miss Rosa once mentioning something like this in terms of the kind of men you need to be wary of. But he can’t quite think of it right now. Oh well, it's probably not all that important.

“For now, let’s just wait for them to finish.”

*

“Amazing. Even though he’s a serial killer, he’s done absolutely no damage to them,” Marcel narrates.

The five of them watch from the windows of the apartment building at the fight. To say that it’s a fight is probably unfair, though. Dr. Wolf is getting a one-sided pounding. 

“If we let this be, won’t he not be able to talk to us?” Colt wonders.

“Oh, looks like they’re done,” Eren points out.

Porco nods. “Makes sense. It’s not all that fun to beat someone who’s that weak.”

“Then it’s our turn,” Bertolt says as he pulls out the ropes.

“Let’s do this!”

*

Dr. Wolf is slowly sitting up when they get down there. He glances at them and pauses.

“Warrior Candidates…?” he asks. 

Before Eren can say anything, Marcel steps forward. Looks like he wants to be the one to lead the discussion. Eren’s fine with that. With his arm what it is, he probably should just hang back anyways.

“It’s been a while, Dr. Wolf. You’re in quite a predicament.”

Dr. Wolf smiles. “Indeed. But I’d say you’re in just as much predicament. Bunch of kids in this part of Liberio? Your parents will be worried if you guys are late to dinner. Why don’t you go home?”

“Haha! That’s hilarious! You’re going to pretend to worry for us after giving us those ‘supplements?’”

The smile falls from the doctor’s face. That makes Marcel’s fake laugh even brighter. Eren glances at Porco, who’s giving Dr. Wolf a pitying look. So this is just how Marcel is around people he doesn't like? Eren feels like he just learned something terrifying about his oldest brother.

“Ah… so you figured that out. Tch. After Hartwin ran off to Dr. Braun and Dr. Grisha started interfering, I figured the gig was up. But to think bunch of kids would come after me first. What? Did you guys pay those four guys, too?”

“You give us too much credit,” Marcel laughs. “That was just our stroke of good fortune.”

“Good fortune, huh…?”

Eren wonders why they didn’t see this coming.

If Dr. Wolf is really the serial killer that they’ve been looking for, they should have tied him down immediately. They shouldn’t have been so relaxed.

Dr. Wolf grabs Marcel by the throat, pushing him down with ease. With one knee pinning Marcel down, Dr. Wolf takes out a small knife that he must have used many times before.

“I hate dealing with kids, but since you guys are Warrior Candidates, I’ll make an exception. Any of you guys move and I’ll kill this one,” Dr. Wolf growls.

They were really too careless.

“Ah, I thought so. You’re the one who killed all those women, aren’t you?” Marcel asks.

“Marcel, I don’t think you should provoke him!” Porco yells.

But Marcel doesn’t seem to have heard, because he continues to speak in a haughty manner.

“Hey, why’d you kill Iris? Isn’t she your niece? Ah? Could it be? Were you angry that she came back alive when your son Sigi stepped on a landmine? Pfft! How stupid can you be?”

Eren glances around. The closest person to act would be Bertolt. But he’s frozen stiff with fear. If they had a rifle or a gun, this would be a different matter. But it’s probably far too late to run for the bar. Porco is the second closest, but he probably won’t do anything that would danger Marcel’s life. Colt is the furthest one of them, hands clutching at the rope they brought.

Then the one to make a move have to be Eren before Marcel makes Dr. Wolf too mad. Slowly, Eren pulls his arm free from the sling. It's just a sprain. It's not like it hurts when he moves it. Really, wearing a sling is already overdramatic as it is.

“Tch. You guys looked into that, too? What a pain. If that damned Marleyan doctor didn’t get in my way, all of you would have been taken care of, too. Yeah. That’s exactly it. So what?”

“Why did you kill the other women? They had nothing to do with this. You killed Iris. Isn’t that enough?”

Eren freezes in his tracks. He needs to act. He knows that. He knows that Marcel is waiting. 

But he also wants to hear the answer.

Why was his mom killed?

“Hah? What kind of stupid question is that? Of course, it’s not enough! Those damned women, acting all innocent like they’re fucking Iris. I know that type. Pretend all you want to be all pure and helpful. But they’re all the same once you hit them once. Hey, did you know? Sigi stepped on that mine because Iris didn't want to walk in front. That bitch pretended to be a weak victim when she's the one that killed my sweet son!”

Not because it’s a personal grudge. 

Not because his mom did something wrong.

But because it was just “bad luck.” 

Carla was just at the wrong place at the wrong time.

He knew this is what happened. He’s known it since the moment he heard the basic gist of Carla’s death. 

He shouldn’t have hesitated at all.

His kitty doll flies with surprising force. But in the end, it’s just a doll. All it does is confuse Dr. Wolf as to where it came from.

But that second is all Eren needs.

He tackles Dr. Wolf with all his might, keeping his focus on the hand holding the knife. Of course, his body is much too small to make the doctor budge. But it at least gets the knife away from Marcel. That should give Porco a good few seconds to get over here and help Eren.

Dr. Wolf snarls and strikes with the knife. 

When a knife is coming down at you incredibly fast like this with no hope of dodging it, there’s just one thing to do. 

You make a sacrifice.

Eren puts his sprained arm up and feels the blade sinking into his forearm.

But look. Now the knife has been rendered useless.

Eren reels his head back and smashes his forehead against Dr. wolf’s chin. Then he reels his non-injured hand back and-

“That’s far enough, Eren.”

An adult’s hand grabs Eren’s fist.

There’s a rifle pointing at Dr. Wolf’s head. Elias has a kind smile on his face as he releases Eren’s hand.

“Get that man off that boy.”

Tilo grabs Dr. Wolf none-too-gently and shoves him against the ground. Marcel takes the chance to slowly sit up. Seeing that, Porco and Colt comes running to his side. Bertolt comes to stand next to Eren.

“I think I got the basic gist of what’s going on,” Elias says.

“That man killed mom and Miss Rosa. He-”

Elias puts his hand on Eren’s head, cutting Eren off. “I heard.”

How frustrating. They came this far, only to have their prey snatched out from under their nose?

“Elias, I-”

“You guys are really amazing, you know that? While we were struggling to take even a step forward, you’ve managed to get this far on your own. You’ll all be great Warriors someday. But right now, I want you to get Eren’s arm looked at first. Can you guys do that for me?”

“Y-yes sir,” Marcel says. Colt nods frantically next to him.

“You guys are very reliable. I’ll leave Eren in your hands,” Elias says. “Eren, you’ve grown well. Carla will be proud. But from here on out, won’t you leave the clean up to us?”

Eren doesn’t like it at all. But Bertolt is clutching tightly to his uninjured arm’s sleeve and Colt keeps glancing around like he really wants to get out of here. He can’t see Porco without turning his head, but he imagines Porco is sticking close to Marcel.

He takes a deep breath.

“Fine.”

Elias laughs. “Don’t sulk. I’ll treat you and your brothers to a nice orange juice when you guys come by to the bar later, alright?”

“Don’t invite kids to the bar! Carla’ll kill you from the grave!” Rein warns.

“Get going!”

*

Eren doesn’t know for how long they’ve been walking when he suddenly realizes that his hand is empty.

“Ah… Kitty…”

He turns around to return, but Colt stops him with a pale face.

“I-It’s fine. We’ll get Kitty back later.”

Marcel nods, grabbing Eren’s shoulder. “F-for now, let’s just get out of here.”

Eren glances at Porco, who is staring at the ground. Bertolt looks like he doesn’t want to go back either. Then again, Eren supposes he understands where they’re coming from.

There’s just one reason why adults would carry weapons while telling children to run along, isn’t there?

“It’s frustrating,” he mumbles.

Marcel ruffles his hair. “Yeah, it is.”

"Until we're older, they'll always do that, won't they?"

"Probably, yeah."

Eren nods. 

Even as Warrior Candidates, there are things that they cannot do.

The knowledge burns Eren more than he'd like.

*

Dr. Braun lets out a startled yell when he sees the knife still embedded in Eren’s arm. It alerts Zeke and Mrs. Braun to come check what’s going on.

“What happened?!” Mrs. Braun gasps.

“I-is that a knife? Where did you get such a thing?” Zeke exclaims.

No one said anything about keeping the case a secret after it was solved. But Eren must have gotten too used to hiding it.

“I tripped,” Eren lies.

“You clearly didn’t!”

“We fought off a serial killer,” Porco says.

The disbelief is clear on everyone’s faces. It seems that even if they do tell the truth, no one would believe it, huh?

Eren wonders why he feels so bitter.

"We were fooling around and got over-confident. Please help Eren," Marcel says.

That, the Braun family seem more willing to believe. 

*

“I’m very sorry for the trouble I’ve caused. I-if you want me to leave, I understand,” Eren apologizes to Uncle and Auntie when they come to pick him and Colt up from the clinic.

“M-me too. I’m sorry,” Colt says. “But please don’t send Eren away!”

Uncle and Auntie stop them.

“Why would we send you away? Do we look that unreliable?” Uncle asks. 

“Eren, Colt. Sometimes, when you’re with your friends, it’s easy to get hurt like this. But at the end of the day, as long as you’re still friends, isn’t it fine no matter the trouble that was caused?” Auntie says kindly.

Eren’s eyes feel hot. “I-is it really okay?”

“A scuffle between friends is fine. No one was killed, after all!”

Somehow, Eren thinks it’s for everyone’s best that they don’t fix Auntie’s misconception of what happened.

*

“I thought it was a sprain,” Dr. Grisha remarks when he sees that Eren’s arm is back in the sling.

Telling him that Eren got stabbed is most definitely going to cause trouble. What a pain.

“I tripped and made it worse,” Eren says.

Dr. Grisha’s expression darkens. “You’re not taking too much pain killers again, are you?”

“No sir.”

“If… anyone is hurting you-”

“Dr. Grisha! Back to your duties,” Commander Magath calls. 

Under the Commander’s sharp gaze, Dr. Grisha quietly retreats for today. Eren’s pretty sure this will continue, whether he wants to or not. But there’s something a bit touching about Dr. Grisha’s clumsy show of affection.

Ah.

Maybe that’s what Carla liked so much about him.

Eren resolves to ask more about that next time they can talk in private. Even if he has no intention of giving up on this life, he doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with getting to know this strange Marleyan doctor.

And maybe given enough time, he’ll be able to admit it himself.

“Dad… Pfft. Like hell I can say that!” 

*

In the end, the newspaper only reports it as Dr. Wolf has gone missing. There’s absolutely nothing about the murders or the attempted murder using the supplements. 

“It occurred to me belatedly that we should have sent a tip to the newspaper,” Marcel grumbles as he glares at the small article in the paper.

“It’s fine, isn’t it? We figured out what’s going on and put the guy down,” Porco points out.

Bertolt looks at the article over Marcel’s shoulder. “But we didn’t do anything.”

“Watch your step,” Colt warns Marcel and Bertolt.

The two barely manages to avoid the pot hole in the ground thanks to Porco yanking them to the side.

“Eren, how far is the bar?”

“Just over… Ah! There!” Eren points with his non-injured hand. “They should have Kitty, right?”

“Since it wasn’t at the pharmacy when we went back, it should be here,” Bertolt agrees.

Porco nods. “And they promised us free juice! I wonder if they’ll mix alcohol in!”

“Of course not, Porco. Don’t be silly,” Marcel scolds. 

Colt holds his hand out for Eren to take.

“Then shall we?”

“Yeah!”

_ Fin. _


End file.
